State and Federal Policy Opportunities to Improve the Lives of Infants and Toddlers and their Families

As a nation, we are failing our youngest children. Too many infants and toddlers in the United States lack the resources they need to thrive during this formative period, putting them at risk of poor health, material hardship, and chronic stress. The Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) and ZERO TO THREE call on federal and state policymakers to embrace a bold policy agenda—one that invests in and optimizes proven programs and seizes new opportunities to make policies work better for families with young children. For such policies to be successful, increased state and federal resources are vital. Current investments are insufficient to meet the needs of families with young children, hampering the effectiveness and accessibility of public policies and programs. The following brief summarizes a number of policy considerations for legislators and program administrators