Supporting the Whole Child: Counties Strengthening Prenatal-to-Three Wellbeing
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The first three years of life are critical for lifelong health and success. Counties play a key role in supporting prenatal-to-three (PN-3) development through the administration of social services and community outreach. A “whole child” approach integrates education, public health and social services to provide wholistic care to young children and families. Counties implement strategies such as single-door referrals, diverse funding sources and public-private partnerships to enhance wellbeing. County examples include Los Angeles County’s MAMA’s Neighborhood program for maternal education, Guilford County’s Ready Ready initiative for integrated service navigation and Allegheny County’s Hello Baby program for economic support. County leaders can maximize outcomes by:
- Integrating health, education and family support
- Investing in maternal education and caregiver support
- Targeting funding to promote financial stability
- Leveraging partnerships
- Using local data for monitoring and evaluation
Featured Initiative
Early Childhood Development Initiative
Counties play a crucial role in fostering communities that support positive outcomes for young children. Resources and peer learning opportunities are available to help counties advance programs and policies for children from birth to age three.
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More Choices, Stronger Counties: Introducing NACo Public Promise Insurance Supplemental Benefits
- Dental
- Vision
- Life
- Short-Term Disability
- Long-Term Care
- Worksite (Critical Illness/Accident/Hospital/Cancer)
- Pet
- An overview of the Supplemental Benefits Trust structure and how it works
- Details on each available line of coverage
- How MetLife and Trustmark will support implementation and ongoing administration
- Next steps for counties interested in participating
- Chris Blanchette, National Director, Public Promise Insurance, National Association of Counties
2026 Fall Board of Directors Meeting and Building Better Futures: A County Leaders' Symposium on Youth Outcomes
Hosted by NACo President George Dunlap as part of his presidential spotlight, in partnership with NACo’s Board of Directors and Large Urban County Caucus, the event will focus on practical strategies and collaborative approaches that counties can advance at the local level—from proven prevention and early intervention models to cross-sector partnerships that align resources and expand opportunity.