Early Childhood Development Initiative
Support for the prenatal-to-three (PN-3) period
Counties play a significant role in shaping early childhood systems, investing in essential services for infants and toddlers that contribute to strong communities and improved outcomes into adulthood. Across the United States, every county helps fund and manage efforts to strengthen families with young children. In fact, counties regularly deliver a wide range of programs and services to approximately 16 million children from birth to age three, addressing the needs of both young children and their families by overseeing and coordinating prenatal to age three (PN-3) services, including:
- Childcare
- Health and prenatal care
- Early intervention
- Home visiting
- Maternal health screenings
- Parent classes
- Early literacy programs
The National Association of Counties, through its Resource Foundation, partners with the National Collaborative for Infants and Toddlers on the Counties for Kids (C4K) campaign.
National Association of Counties Research Foundation
Counties For Kids
Counties for Kids (C4K) is a public awareness campaign for county leaders who are committed to making PN-3 investments. All county leaders are encouraged to join this network of champions advancing PN-3 policies, programs and systems! Network members have access to free resources, tools and invitations to events to network with peers and learn strategies for improving the health and wellbeing of young children.
What Participants Are Saying
Hon. Janet Thompson
Commissioner, Boone County, Mo.
How to Get Involved
Are you involved in building thriving communities for children ages birth to three? Do you have successful strategies other counties can learn from? In 2026, NACo will host in-person events and share other new content to support your efforts. Sign up to receive our quarterly newsletter and information on how to engage.
Related Resources
Childcare Supply Initiative
The Childcare Supply Network supports local leaders in addressing childcare challenges. Participating counties are working with national experts to co-create sustainable solutions and financing strategies to strengthen local childcare systems in response to workforce needs.
Understanding the State and Local Role in Home-Based Child Care
High-quality child care is essential to the success of families and economies, and state and local leaders play an important role in ensuring this care is affordable, responsive and accessible to working families.
Supporting the Whole Child: Counties Strengthening Prenatal-to-Three Wellbeing
The Supporting the Whole Child: Counties Strengthening Prenatal-to-Three Wellbeing issue brief defines the whole child model and provides county examples.
USDA and HHS release new dietary guidelines
On January 7, U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. unveiled the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030.
County Countdown – Dec. 15, 2025
Every other week, NACo's County Countdown reviews top federal policy advocacy items with an eye towards counties and the intergovernmental partnership.
Stretching small opioid settlement allocations helps funding do more
States and localities are set to receive $56 billion in opioid settlement dollars over an 18-year period, but not every county that receives settlement funding will get enough to build out infrastructure.
The Current State of Student Debt and Forgiveness
This webinar is designed for county HR and leadership teams seeking practical ways to support employees struggling with student debt.
Over 9 million public service workers, including full-time county employees, are eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness. Yet fewer than 3 percent have successfully received relief.
The issue is not eligibility. It is awareness, complexity, and follow-through.
Please join us as we speak with student debt forgiveness expert Tony Raffa, who will clarify today’s student debt landscape, including:
- What recent policy and executive actions mean for public sector employees
- How Department of Education changes affect forgiveness eligibility, timelines, and compliance
- Which student debt relief programs do employees actually qualify for today
- The current status of the SAVE program
- Common application errors that delay or derail forgiveness
- Rising delinquency and repayment restart risks
- What HR teams need to know about collections, wage garnishment notices, and employer responsibilities
Attendees will also see how a new student debt navigation tool helps employees estimate their potential forgiveness, avoid costly mistakes, and reduce annual payments by an average of $2,244.
For HR teams, this means a scalable way to offer meaningful financial support without adding administrative burden.