WASHINGTON, DC — ZERO TO THREE, the nation’s leading early childhood development nonprofit dedicated to ensuring that all infants and toddlers have a strong start in life, has expressed strong encouragement following the release of President Biden’s proposed fiscal year 2025 budget. The organization highlighted that the federal spending blueprint includes essential and much-needed investments aimed at building a solid foundation for young children and families across the United States.
The announcement comes at a crucial time for early childhood policy advocates who have long emphasized that the earliest months and years of a child’s life shape their long-term cognitive, emotional, and physical development. By prioritizing infants and toddlers in the federal budget proposal, the administration has signaled a growing recognition of the unique needs of families with very young children.
According to ZERO TO THREE, the new federal funding proposals align closely with the organization’s ongoing advocacy efforts to secure comprehensive support for America’s youngest citizens. The nonprofit has consistently urged Congress and the executive branch to place the needs of babies and their families at the forefront of national policy discussions, focusing specifically on five critical pillars of early childhood wellbeing: maternal health, infant and early childhood mental health, accessible and affordable child care, stable housing, and broad economic security for working households.
Miriam Calderón, Chief Policy Officer at ZERO TO THREE, praised the administration’s focus on these interconnected areas. “If implemented, President Biden’s budget released today will make our nation a better and fairer nation to have and raise a baby,” Calderón stated. She noted that the proposals build directly upon themes articulated during the recent State of the Union address, where the president outlined a vision for empowering families and expanding choices for their children’s futures.
“In last week’s State of the Union address, the President laid out a path toward a future where families are empowered and have choices about their baby’s future,” Calderón added. “This proposed budget expands on this vision with proposals that address all facets of young children’s development.”
The comprehensive scope of the fiscal year 2025 budget reflects an understanding that early childhood development cannot be addressed through isolated programs alone. Instead, support for infants and toddlers requires a multifaceted approach that bolsters the health and economic stability of the entire family unit.
Maternal health initiatives form a cornerstone of the administration’s broader framework, recognizing that a child’s health and wellbeing are inextricably linked to the health of the mother before, during, and after pregnancy. Addressing maternal mortality rates, expanding access to postpartum care, and investing in maternal mental health services are viewed by child development experts as fundamental prerequisites for giving infants a strong start in life.
In addition to maternal health, the proposed budget places significant emphasis on infant and early childhood mental health. Experts have increasingly recognized that babies experience and absorb stress, trauma, and emotional security within their environments long before they can articulate their feelings. Providing resources to support infant and early childhood mental health helps equip parents, caregivers, and early educators with the tools necessary to foster healthy emotional development, build resilience, and address developmental challenges early on, when interventions are most effective.
Child care remains another critical bottleneck for American families, with soaring costs and limited availability placing immense strain on working parents. The fiscal year 2025 budget seeks to address these systemic challenges by proposing investments designed to make child care more accessible and affordable, thereby enabling parents to maintain employment and financial stability while ensuring their children are in safe, nurturing, and developmentally enriching environments.
Economic security and housing stability round out the core areas championed by early childhood advocates. Financial hardship and housing insecurity introduce toxic stress into the home environment, which can profoundly disrupt an infant’s early development. By proposing measures to strengthen economic security and expand housing support for families with young children, the budget aims to create more stable foundations from which children can grow, learn, and thrive.
With the release of the federal budget proposal now complete, the focus shifts to Capitol Hill, where lawmakers will deliberate over spending priorities and appropriations for the upcoming fiscal year. ZERO TO THREE has emphasized that the transition from a presidential proposal to enacted legislation requires coordinated bipartisan effort and dedicated leadership from members of Congress.
“Now, Congress must work with the Administration to deliver for families and babies,” Calderón said, stressing the importance of legislative action. “We look forward to working with Congressional appropriators and our baby champions on the Hill to make these bold proposals a reality.”
The advocacy community intends to mobilize supporters across the country to urge federal lawmakers to protect and prioritize these vital early childhood investments during the budget negotiation process. As discussions unfold in the coming weeks and months, organizations like ZERO TO THREE will continue to advocate for policies that recognize infants and toddlers as a national priority, ensuring that the needs of the youngest Americans remain central to the legislative agenda.
