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Military Families

ZERO TO THREE works to ensure that babies and toddlers benefit from the early connections that are critical to their well-being and development.

Military and Veteran Family Support

We work to increase awareness and collaboration throughout the military community for both parents and professionals.

The Military Family Projects Team at ZERO TO THREE works to develop resources and tools that support the health and development of infants, toddlers and their families.

Our work ranges from supporting young children in military-connected families through the creation of parent tools to developing professional development content for those who support military families around the world.

22%

There are approximately 22 million veterans and active duty service members within the United States.

8%

About 8 percent of the families early childhood professionals serve are military-connected.

Children of deployed parents have higher rates of mental-health issues, compared to civilian children.

Source: Sogomonyan, F. & Cooper, J. L. (2010). Trauma faced by children of military families: what every policymaker should know. National Center for Children in Poverty.  

My husband’s time as an active duty service member was full days, weeks, and months of separation due to deployment, training, work-ups, changes in work schedules–not to mention all the moving from one duty station to another! Babies on the Homefront is designed to keep up with the many transitions military families go through and to maximize the relationship that can be maintained long distance. Through secure messaging, creative baby games, sharing updates, and finding answers to all your parenting questions, this app has been a great tool for keeping my husband in the know.

Jennifer Novak

Support to Reunification and Beyond

The deployment and homecoming of military family members can create a highly emotional situation that impacts every family member, including those who may be too young to clearly communicate their concerns. For infants and toddlers, the separation or frequent changes often associated with being part of a military family can have a significant impact on their development.

Our resources address strategies for remaining connected during deployment, mental health care for the entire family, combat stress and transitioning to civilian life.

A graphic promoting the ZERO TO THREE Conference for early childhood professionals.
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We help adults help babies.

From early learning to infant and early childhood mental health, learn more about our organization's primary issue areas and the programs that are making a difference.