Along with filling the Hilton San Diego Bayfront Ballrooms and the San Diego Convention Center, this year’s Zero to Three Conference boasted more than 3,400 attendees with 236 professional speakers presenting throughout 96 richly informative talking sessions. As a Platinum Sponsor, First 5 San Diego is honored to have been part of the event and share in the excitement of creating new relationships and witnessing novel advancements within the field of child development. Zero to Three’s mission to ensure that all babies and toddlers have a strong start in life is what fueled the event to be successful. Organizations, agencies, employers and employees from around the world were in attendance to witness the latest innovations and new understandings in skill development for infants, toddlers and their families. The conference fostered a collaborative space which gave members within the child development field an opportunity to share ideas, research, and resources to further developmental advancements. Zero to Three, First 5 San Diego, and the thousands of attendees all partnered to adopt and implement plans and strategies that better nurture healthy relationships, comprehensive policies, and accessible resources for infants, toddlers, and parents.
The First 5 San Diego booth deemed popular amongst convention goers thanks to the continuous help of the countywide First 5 San Diego teams. The booth staff included First 5 service providers from our various service providers who all delivered rich resources and enlightening information to those whom attended the event. The team’s continuous efforts and dedication to the field and organization is what prompted the success of the booth and captured the attention of both Zero to Three and those in attendance. The First 5 San Diego booth contained materials which expanded on our educational, developmental, and health resources which we provide for families throughout the county. Such materials included our Kits for New Parents, Healthy Development Pocket Guides, and brochures regarding positive parenting, oral health at birth, healthy development services, and our home visiting program. Thanks to the volunteers representing First 5 San Diego, event participants left our booth with a better understanding of what we do to strengthen the relationships essential for the healthy development of all children ages 0-5. We understand that these connections are embedded in health, learning, family and community.
At the Zero to Three Conference, three of our programs were honored to showcase their work to the attendees. Our Quality Preschool Initiative, Healthy Development Services and Kid Start programs all participated in poster presentations during the conference. Our Healthy Development Services team presented three posters: “Treating Mild to Moderate Developmental Delays: Filling the Service Gap”, “A Journey Towards a Community-Wide Continuum of Infant Early Childhood Mental Health (I-ECMH)” and “Utilizing the Parallel Process to Implement Motivational Interviewing in a System of Care”.
With the Zero to Three Conference at an end, First 5 San Diego would like to personally thank Zero to Three, the sponsors, and all the participants for such a great event. Also, a very special thank you to our First 5 San Diego team who worked diligently in preparation for the conference, and for their continued dedication to the organization and the field of child development. Without the help of all those involved, the conference would not have been the victory it turned out to be. The connections created and partnerships made at the conference prove that advancements are still being made in efforts to improve the lives of babies, toddlers, and their families. We will continue to work vigorously to provide the best support, care, and resources to children and families in San Diego County because we understand that the first years of a child’s life are vital and foundational for the years ahead.