HealthySteps LEARN Conference 2025 Virtual Track

The HealthySteps LEARN Virtual Course offers access to 5 of the 9 HS specific sessions during the ZERO TO THREE LEARN Conference in Baltimore. Recorded sessions were selected to represent a variety of topics ranging from clinical work to implementation and sustainability. Topics include postpartum depression, program implementation and evaluation, parallel process, engaging fathers, and value-based care. Registration for this course provides you with 6 months access to the sessions listed below.

Included Sessions:

• Bonus Programming: Policy Under Pressure – Advancing Early Childhood Policy in Uncertain Times
• Opening and Policy Plenary - A Bold Welcome: Leading the Way for Young Children and Families   
• Keynote Address
• Practice Plenary - Things I Wish I Had Known: Chandra Ghosh Ippen’s Reflections for Her Younger Self and the Field
• Science Plenary - The Science and Power of Hope
• Identifying and Treating Postpartum Depression in Mothers of Young Children: HealthySteps in Miami Partners with the Healthy Start’s Moving Beyond Depression Program to Better Serve Mothers
  
• Building a Healthier Future: A Three-Pronged Approach to HealthySteps Implementation, Evaluation, and Sustainability in Philadelphia
• Looking at the Parallel Process Through the Lens of HealthySteps
• Supporting Fathers at Their Children's Primary Care Visits
• HealthySteps and Value-Based Care: How Evidence-Based Care Supports the Journey to Outcomes, Value, and Sustainability (Issue Intensive – 2 hours)

Session Descriptions:

Bonus Programming: Policy Under Pressure – Advancing Early Childhood Policy in Uncertain Times

(does not include CEUs) 

Federal programs and policies play a pivotal role in supporting the health, development, and well-being of expectant parents, babies and young children. But the passing of recent legislation included historic cuts to programs that families rely on, such as Medicaid, WIC and SNAP.   
Hear from national leaders as they discuss the impacts of these cuts, as well as recent federal policy developments in non-defense discretionary funding, Medicaid, and immigration.     
 
Learn how organizations – and you – can come together to understand potential repercussions, ways to mitigate harm, as well as bear witness and build a new future for babies.   

Panelists: 

Melissa Boteach, ZERO TO THREE, Chief Policy Officer  

Shiloh Salazar, Family advocate 

Javier Martinez, Abriendo Puertas, Opening Doors, Managing Director of National Policy 

Amy Matsui, National Women’s Law Center, Vice President for Income Security and Child Care 

Opening and Policy Plenary - A Bold Welcome: Leading the Way for Young Children and Families   

Governor Wes Moore, State of Maryland

Open the 2025 LEARN Conference with a powerful message of recognition, responsibility, and momentum for the early childhood field.  

This is a rare opportunity to hear directly from a state leader who understands that the path to a stronger future begins in the earliest years. From expanding child care access and investing in the workforce to reimagining systems that work for all families, let's highlight what it means to lead with vision, action, and purpose.  

Whether you work in a classroom, clinic, program office, or policy setting, this plenary will leave you feeling seen, valued, and re-energized. Join in as we welcome you into a shared movement to give every child a strong start and every professional the support to lead with confidence. 

Learning Objectives for Session Evaluation: 

• Identify major early childhood initiatives led by the State of Maryland under Governor Moore’s administration.  
• Recognize the role of public leadership in strengthening early learning systems and supporting the early childhood workforce.  
• Select one action they can take to contribute to lasting impact for children and families in their professional role or community. 

Keynote Address: Put Yourself Back on the List: Reclaiming Joy, Identity, and Wellbeing in Service of Others

Dr. Adolph Brown III, Internationally Renowned Master Educator, Servant Leadership Consultant & Author

Get ready to laugh, reflect, and refuel with Dr. Adolph “Doc” Brown III in this energizing and heartfelt Keynote designed just for early childhood professionals. This high-energy experience is a celebration of your passion and commitment to young children and families. At the same time, it is a playful and powerful reminder that your own wellbeing deserves a place at the top of your priorities.

Doc Brown brings the music, the movement, the props, and the real talk. With humor and honesty, he helps us take a closer look at how easy it is to lose ourselves in the daily grind of supporting others. The skipped meals, the late nights, the back-to-back-to-back giving… it all adds up. And before we know it, we’ve forgotten to check in with the one person who makes it all possible: ourselves.

This session is an invitation to press pause, recharge your joy, and reconnect with your identity as a whole person, not just someone who supports others. Through laughter, story, and surprise, Doc shares practical ways to care for your mind, body, and spirit. Walk away feeling refreshed and more equipped to sustain the incredible work you do each day.

• Recognize how cumulative stress can affect personal wellbeing and identity in early childhood professional roles.
• Identify core areas of self-care that support sustainability in professional practice.
• Recall at least one strategy for re-centering personal wellness in daily routines.

Practice Plenary - Things I Wish I Had Known: Chandra Ghosh Ippen’s Reflections for Her Younger Self and the Field

Kick off day two of the 2025 LEARN Conference with an inspiring and deeply personal Practice Plenary from Dr. Chandra Ghosh Ippen—renowned early childhood trauma therapist, researcher, and co-developer of Child-Parent Psychotherapy. 

If you could go back in time, what wisdom would you share with your younger self to better support young children and families? What hard-earned lessons have shaped your work the most? Imagine having just one hour to distill decades of learnings. 

Join Dr. Ghosh Ippen on a powerful journey of reflection, where she will weave together key concepts from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, the Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH) field, and her own experiences from 30+ years as an early childhood trauma therapist. With warmth and candor, she will share lessons learned, challenges faced, and guidance that has stood the test of time. 

Don't miss this rare opportunity to gain relatable, practical takeaways from a leader whose work has transformed the field. Leave inspired, equipped with new perspectives, and ready to carry this model of reflection into your own LEARNing journey—and beyond. 

Learning Objectives for Session Evaluation: 

• Identify the ABCs of a trauma-informed response. 
• Define a “trauma-related expectation.” 
• Describe a “shame port of entry” and outline two specific strategies for responding effectively when someone expresses feelings of shame. 

Science Plenary - The Science and Power of Hope

Join internationally renowned researcher, speaker, and award-winning author Dr. Chan Hellman for an inspiring exploration of the science of hope. Discover how hope serves as a powerful psychological strength, enhancing resilience in the face of stress and adversity. 

Drawing on over 15 years of groundbreaking research, Dr. Hellman will highlight how nurturing hope is a key predictor of well-being, fostering positive outcomes for children, parents, and families. Gain actionable insights into: 

• Strengthening parent-child relationships through hope, 
• Buffering the effects of adversity with hope, 
• Practical strategies for nurturing and sustaining hope as a coping resource, and 
• The role of hope in protecting early childhood service providers from burnout and secondary traumatic stress. 

Leave this plenary equipped with a practical understanding of how hope can transform personal and professional lives. 

Learning Objectives for Session Evaluation: 

• Identify key findings from hope science research that explain its role in promoting resilience and well-being. 
• Identify ways that hope can support children, families, and early childhood professionals in managing stress and adversity. 
• Recognize strategies for applying hope-based practices to reduce burnout and strengthen relational connections in early childhood settings.

Identifying and Treating Postpartum Depression in Mothers of Young Children: HealthySteps in Miami Partners with the Healthy Start’s Moving Beyond Depression Program to Better Serve Mothers

This session focuses on the partnership between the University of Miami’s HealthySteps and Healthy Start/Moving Beyond Depression Programs. HealthySteps Specialists identify mothers experiencing depression, many of whom face barriers which impede their ability to access services. The evidence-based/grant funded program, Moving Beyond Depression, provides access to quality care.

Learning Objectives for Session Evaluation: 

• Describe the Moving Beyond Depression Program offered through Miami’s Healthy Start Program and the partnership with the UM HealthySteps Program, creating a seamless road to treatment for depressed mothers served by the HealthySteps team.
• Identify the importance of early screenings for postpartum depression and the profound adverse effects on women and their children if not treated.
• Describe how to foster similar partnerships in their communities.

Building a Healthier Future: A Three-Pronged Approach to HealthySteps Implementation, Evaluation, and Sustainability in Philadelphia

This session will highlight a three-pronged approach to implementing, evaluating, and sustaining the HealthySteps program in Philadelphia. By integrating implementation science, a mixed-methods evaluation, and advocacy for policy reform, the initiative aims to improve early childhood development, provider well-being, and family health, with promising early results.

Learning Objectives for Session Evaluation: 

• Summarize the impact of HealthySteps on provider, child, and family outcomes.
• Describe strategies for integrating caregiver and community perspectives into intervention implementation and evaluation at their own sites.
• Identify strategies for state funding initiatives for HealthySteps and HealthySteps-aligned services.

Looking at the Parallel Process Through the Lens of HealthySteps

This session focuses on identifying one’s social location and the implementation of parallel process. Participants will list their relationship building skills that best serve historically marginalized families with young children. Participants will understand how the parallel process empowers oneself to encourage individuals and families to creatively solve their own problems. Group discussion will help participants identify biases that can perpetuate racism, oppression, and power over models that traditionally marginalized children and families experience.

Learning Objectives for Session Evaluation: 

• Identify strategies used to implement the parallel process.
• Recognized barriers and strengths of application of the parallel process within participants individual roles.
• List techniques to apply the parallel process to additional professional relationships with others who support young children.

Supporting Fathers at Their Children's Primary Care Visits

A father's health status has implications for himself and also for the health and well-being of his children. This session will focus on engaging fathers during pediatric primary care visits both to support their children's health and development and to prioritize their own health and connection with the healthcare system.

Learning Objectives for Session Evaluation: 

• Describe how a father's health has implications on their child's health and well-being
• Summarize barriers that fathers have in engaging with the healthcare system
• List three interventions to engage fathers in their own and their child's healthcare during pediatric primary care visits

HealthySteps and Value-Based Care: How Evidence-Based Care Supports the Journey to Outcomes, Value, and Sustainability (Issue Intensive – 2 hours)

Planning for HealthySteps sustainability in all practices is something that cannot be left to chance. Focusing on revenues and value-based care means program leaders need solutions for ongoing program support. This session will show how HealthySteps will increase pay-for-performance compensation while ensuring the proven superior outcomes for babies and families.

Learning Objectives for Session Evaluation: 

• Identify examples of performance measures that align with HealthySteps outcomes and support value-based care.
• Explain how other health care sectors are supported by the integration and long-term sustainability of HealthySteps.
• Describe the requirements for provider participation in HealthySteps.

Certificate/CEU Requirements

Earn up to nine contact hours (1.0 CEUs or 10 contact hours) by completing the following:

• View the entire session
• Complete the CEU Quiz with a passing score of 75% or better
• Complete the CEU evaluation

**Full viewing of session recordings required**

ZERO TO THREE is pleased to offer Continuing Education Units for a wide range of learning events, both in person and on line.

Contact hours and CEUs are automatically added to your registration for no additional charge. Registrants can earn up to 1.0 CEUs or 10 Contact hours for attending these webinar events. Continuing Education Units are awarded with a passing quiz score of 75% or greater for each session and a completed session evaluation. Please note: The Bonus Programming session, does not offer CEUs, but by viewing the session and completing the session evaluation, you can earn a certificate of completion.

Sessions descriptions and learner objectives are listed on the overview page.

Contact hours offered may vary per discipline. For more information regarding ZERO TO THREE CEUs, please visit: https://www.zerotothree.org/resources/1657-earn-ceus-from-zero-to-three. Please note: A computer or electronic device with internet connection is required for successful completion. Each session will be hosted for 1 hour and includes a brief introduction and about 45 mins of content based teaching. 

ZERO TO THREE is accredited as an Authorized Provider of Continuing Education and Training by the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET). In obtaining this accreditation, we have demonstrated compliance with the ANSI/IACET Standard, which is recognized internationally as a standard of excellence in instructional practices. As the official standard for continuing education and training, IACET Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are recognized by a wide range of organizations, including professional associations, regulatory boards, corporations, and universities.

Though IACET CEUs are widely accepted, it is up to each organization to choose whether or not it will accept them. For this reason, we strongly advise that you confirm in advance if a particular body accepts IACET CEUs. To view a list of companies, regulatory boards, and organizations that have reported to accept the IACET CEU credit, please click here. This list is not exhaustive, nor does it guarantee that an IACET CEU will automatically be accepted. 

*Presenters have affirmed that they do not have proprietary interest in products, instruments, devices, services or materials discussed in this course, and have confirmed that they have not been compensated in relation to this presentation.