Join over a thousand state lawmakers, advocates, researchers, and practitioners for a virtual event to spotlight the investments that states made in 2024 to support young children and their families.
Rigorous scientific evidence informs our annual policy guide, which gives states actionable solutions to improve outcomes for all young children.
How do you know if a state policy truly improves outcomes for infants, toddlers, and their families? We reviewed thousands of research studies for you.
We conduct original research—including program evaluation, policy analyses, benefit-cost analyses, and mixed methods studies—to build the evidence.
To support lawmakers and advocates, we offer research and evaluation, data and analyses, presentations, testimony, agenda development, and more.
We aim to accelerate states’ implementation of evidence-based policies that help all children thrive from the start.
Who We Are
We are a nonpartisan research center at Vanderbilt University. We focus on the rigorous evidence connecting brain science with state policies and programs.
What We Do
We inform lawmakers, agencies, advocates, and academics about policies to help families thrive–while growing states’ health, safety, and prosperity.
Why prenatal to 3?
The first three years of life have a powerful impact on the future wellbeing of every person. Families can benefit from a strong early childhood system of care.
The Latest
THE GRANT WILL HELP US BUILD AND SHARE THE EVIDENCE BASE FOR SOLUTIONS TO IMPROVE MATERNAL HEALTH DISPARITIES AND THE DISTRIBUTION OF EARLY CHILDHOOD SERVICES. Press Contact: Molly Kramer, 615-343-8948, molly.m.kramer@vanderbilt.edu The Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact
NEW FUNDING WILL HELP STATES AIMING TO ADOPT EVIDENCE-BASED POLICIES THAT HELP ALL CHILDREN THRIVE. Press Contact: Molly Kramer, 615-343-8948, molly.m.kramer@vanderbilt.edu The Bezos Family Foundation is investing in the Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center with a
With most legislatures adjourned for the year, we recap the 2024 action on state policies to support children and families. So far this year, lawmakers throughout the country debated—and many passed—legislation that aligns with four key components of the prenatal-to-3 system of care.
States and community organizations can increase awareness of credits. Increasingly, the state and federal government use tax credits, such as the child tax credit and the earned income tax credit, to support families with low
Evaluating Texas’s in-kind and monetary assistance during COVID-19 To promote nurturing and responsive parent-child relationships and healthy home environments, states can offer home visiting programs to expectant and new parents with young children. During the
