Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center

$47 million.

That's the estimated annual tax relief Rhode Island's new Child Tax Credit will provide to families across the state.

Included in the FY 2027 budget signed by Governor Dan McKee, Rhode Island's first-ever Child Tax Credit will provide a refundable credit of up to $330 per child and is expected to benefit more than 70,000 qualifying families.

This milestone reflects Rhode Island's commitment to strengthening family economic security. We were honored to support Rhode Island leaders through our State Policy Academy on Supporting Families with Comprehensive Tax Policies, where participants explored evidence-based tax policy strategies that can help improve outcomes for children and families.

When families have greater economic security, children are better positioned to thrive.

Children are a part of all of our lives. Whether you are a parent, a teacher, a policymaker, a health care provider, or simply someone who cares about young children, the research on the prenatal-to-3 period is worth understanding.

The most rapid period of growth for the human brain occurs in the earliest years of life, and the conditions children and families experience during this window appear to affect all future learning, behavior, and health. Research tells us that safe, stable, stimulating, loving interactions between an infant and a parent or caregiver promote optimal brain and body development in the first 3 years of life. Yet too many infants and toddlers do not experience these environments, and approximately 1 in 6 children under age 3 in the United States lives in a family with income below 100% of the federal poverty level.

Our Center's updated brief explores what decades of research tell us about why these earliest years matter.

Explore the Brief: https://bit.ly/4lRLzNd

We're growing our team!

We're hiring a Senior Communications Specialist to support communications that help state leaders engage with clear, evidence-based policy solutions that improve the lives of young children and their families.

We're looking for a strategic communicator with strong writing and editorial skills who enjoys collaborating across teams, managing complex projects, and developing communications that make important topics accessible and engaging.

If you're passionate about strategic communications, public policy, and creating meaningful impact, apply today: https://pn3policy.org/careers/

Legislative sessions move quickly, and state leaders need timely, evidence-based information.

This session, our Policy team tracked over 1,000 bills, across the United States, related to issues affecting children and families and conducted targeted outreach to support policymakers working on topics including child care, paid family and medical leave, doulas, and earned income tax credits.

While our weekly Legislative Trends newsletter might be done for 2026, stay tuned for the release of the Roadmap and our full 2026 Legislative Round-Up coming later this year.

Missed the final newsletter? Check it out 📧: https://bit.ly/4xaXf2G

Policymakers, advocates, and researchers have documented the scope of child care challenges at the national level for years. What has been far harder to answer is a simpler question: what is happening in any given community?

The Davidson County Child Care Landscape Study explores that question for greater Nashville, Tennessee. Our Center conducted original survey research across licensed child care programs in the region, in partnership with the United Way of Greater Nashville, Raising Readers Nashville, and the Nashville Early Education Coalition.

The study finds interconnected challenges in child care supply, workforce stability, and affordability, with implications that extend well beyond Nashville.

🔍 Explore the study: https://pn3policy.org/research-and-evaluation/davidson-county-landscape-study/

Latino parents with young children are navigating significant economic pressures. According to the 2026 National Latino Family Report from AP-OD National, 40% of the surveyed parents and primary caregivers borrowed money from friends and family to manage rising costs over the past year, and 21% used up all or most of their savings to cover expenses.

The report is based on a survey of 1,300 Latino parents and primary caregivers with children prenatal through age 5 and examines the economic pressures, health care access, and childcare priorities shaping the lives of these families across the US.

As a research center focused on prenatal-to-3 policy, we are sharing this report because understanding the experiences of Latino families with young children is part of building a fuller picture of what families across the US need most.

👉 https://nationalsurvey.ap-od.org/2026-report/

2026 Latino Family Survey – Families Building a Stronger Future Home National Latino Family Report 2026 Families Building a Stronger Future The fifth annual study of the experiences, priorities, and aspirations of Latino families with children from prenatal through age 5. Download Report PDF Introduction AP-OD, in conjunction with UnidosUS and BSP Research, surv...

Access to the right support during the prenatal-to-3 window matters.

Strong causal evidence shows Early Intervention services improve outcomes for infants and toddlers across cognitive development, motor skills, receptive language, and behavior. Research also points to benefits for mothers, including increased self-confidence and role satisfaction.

Our State Policy Analyst Lauren Hecht joined New America alongside policy professionals and others to examine how policy and implementation shape access to Early Intervention services. Watch the full conversation and explore our Early Intervention Roadmap page:

-New America Early Intervention Event Recap 👉 https://bit.ly/4uvKFt4
-Early Intervention Roadmap 👉 https://bit.ly/43Bo8z6

Our team of researchers and policy experts work with state leaders throughout the year to provide the evidence-based resources and expertise they need to achieve their goals for child and parent wellbeing.

The first three years shape every child’s future. Decades of research show that investments during this sensitive period of brain and body development have long-term benefits for children, their families, and society. State policy choices play a significant role in determining those outcomes.

Learn more: https://bit.ly/3q0afKK

The first three years of a child’s life shape everything that follows. Decades of research show that investments during this sensitive period of brain and body development have long-term benefits for children, their families, and society.

State policy choices play a significant role in determining those outcomes. Effective systems of support combine broad-based economic supports, targeted interventions, and policies that care for caregivers so they can care for their children. Yet variation across states means families have access to very different levels of support, depending on where they live.

At the Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center, we work to equip state leaders with the evidence and research they need to make smarter, more effective investments in young children and their families.

Explore how paid leave, child care subsidies, tax credits, and other state choices look in your state: https://bit.ly/4uo7U8e