Beyond the Headlines

Expert Analysis on Early Childhood Research and News

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3 results in Trauma.

Author

Mike Sherman PsyD

Director of Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Strategy and Coordination

"All development occurs in the context of relationships. This applies to everything human... the development of babies, parents, professionals, practices, programs and policies.”

Childhood Trauma Doesn’t Have to Be a Lifelong Curse

New York Times | January 2026

What the article says:

While older research such as the landmark 1998 ACE study showed that childhood trauma can have significant long-term health and mental health consequences, more recent science and community practice highlight that trauma does not inevitably define a child’s life. Researchers and practitioners are identifying ways to mitigate the harmful effects of early adversity by fostering positive relationships, supportive environments, and resilience-building experiences. These approaches, now being applied by educators, health care providers, and community groups, shift the focus from trauma as a lifelong burden to trauma as a challenge that can be addressed through intentional support and healing-oriented interventions.

Mike’s take:

This article captures an important evolution in the science. The 1998 Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) study showed a clear dose-response relationship between early adversity and later risks such as heart disease, depression, and substance use. We now understand much more about the biology behind that link, including how chronic stress can disrupt developing brain architecture and alter stress-response systems when children lack consistent, buffering relationships.

At the same time, newer research makes clear that adversity is not destiny. The same science that shows how toxic stress can harm development also shows how protective relationships can buffer those effects. Stable, responsive caregiving helps regulate a child’s stress response system, supports healthy brain development, and reduces long-term risk. Studies also demonstrate that positive childhood experiences, trauma-informed early education, and accessible infant and early childhood mental health services can strengthen resilience and improve outcomes.

At ZERO TO THREE, we emphasize this dual message: early adversity matters, and early relationships matter just as much. When policies and systems invest in supporting parents, expanding access to high-quality early care, and embedding trauma-responsive practices in pediatric and community settings, we are not just responding to trauma, we are actively shaping healthier developmental trajectories. The science gives us both urgency and hope.
Author

Patricia A. Cole

Senior Policy Advisor

Patricia Cole leads ZERO TO THREE’s work in federal policy formulation and legislative strategies in a range of areas affecting infants and toddlers, including early care and learning, home visiting, child welfare, infant-early childhood mental health, and health care. Patty has over thirty years of experience in policy at the federal and state levels. Prior to her current position, she […]
New Report Sheds Light on Babies Experiencing Homelessness
Seattle Times | December 2025

What the article says:

A recent Seattle Times article focuses on the School House Connection report, Infant and Toddler Homelessness Across 50 States, that found nearly 447,000 infants and toddlers experienced homelessness in 2022–2023, a 23% increase in just two years, with rates rising in nearly every state.

Being unhoused during the first three years of life poses serious risks to brain development, health, and emotional well-being, yet only about 1 in 10 of these young children are connected to early childhood programs that could help buffer these impacts.
Patty’s take:

This report makes clear that homelessness among infants and toddlers is not just a housing issue. It is an early childhood development crisis that we can no longer ignore. The earliest years of life are when a child’s brain is growing and changing at an extraordinary pace, laying the foundation for everything that follows. Yet for far too many babies and toddlers, that foundation is being built amid instability and chronic stress.

When families with very young children do not know where they will sleep or how they will meet basic needs, that stress reaches children at the moment their brains are most sensitive to their environments.

The report highlights several urgent realities:

Homelessness among infants and toddlers is rising rapidly across nearly every state.

Only about 10 percent of these young children are connected to early childhood development programs that could help protect their development.

Families face barriers including limited program availability, frequent moves and systems that are not designed to work together.

Counting infants and toddlers who are unhoused is an important step forward, but it is only the beginning. If we are serious about giving every child a strong start, we must act with urgency by strengthening coordination across housing, health, and early childhood systems and investing in stable housing and early supports for families with babies and toddlers. Acting early can prevent deeper harm, support parents, and change the trajectory of a child’s life.

Read more and see Patty’s response in the Seattle Times.
Author

Phil Fisher

Diana Chen Professor of Early Childhood Learning and Director

Dr. Philip Fisher is the Diana Chen Professor of Early Childhood Learning in the Graduate School of Education at Stanford University, where he serves as founding Director of the Stanford Center on Early Childhood. He is a Courtesy Professor of Pediatrics at the Stanford School of Medicine. He has been a member of the ZERO TO THREE Board of Directors […]

Survey: Nearly Half of Families with Young Kids Struggling to Meet Basic Needs

The 74 | October 2025

What the survey says:

A new RAPID Survey Project report shows that in April 2025, 41% of families with children under 6 struggled to meet at least one basic need, such as food, housing, utilities, health care or child care. Over the past five years, that figure has averaged 35%, showing persistent economic strain on families with young children. The data also reveal a clear “chain reaction”: when parents face material hardship, their emotional distress rises, which in turn is linked to greater distress in their young children.

Phil’s take:

I am deeply concerned by the latest survey findings that show nearly half of families with young children are struggling to meet one or more basic needs. These data reflect more than just numbers; they signal widespread stress on the environments in which young children grow and develop.

Working on and with the RAPID Survey Project has taught me how critical it is to elevate the voices of parents and caregivers and to generate data that are timely, actionable and grounded in lived experience. This survey underscores that many families are not simply experiencing isolated setbacks, but systemic pressures. They are struggling to pay for housing, keep utilities on, find child care, obtain health care and secure enough food. When these essentials are in jeopardy, the ripple effects touch emotional well-being of parents and children alike. When half of families say they can’t afford child care or are skipping meals to feed their kids, that should concern everyone, regardless of politics.

Elevating those parent voices isn’t just about empathy; it’s about building smarter, more effective public supports. When families tell us directly what’s working and what’s not, we can design solutions that truly reflect their realities. Their lived experience should be at the center of how we shape policy and practice in early childhood — because parents are the experts in their children’s lives, and their insights are essential to creating lasting change.