ZERO TO THREE, the leading nonprofit dedicated to ensuring babies and toddlers have a strong start in life, is pleased to announce the appointment of Brenda Jones Harden, PhD, as President of the ZERO TO THREE Board of Directors. Dr. Jones Harden joined the Board in 2012 and has been deeply involved in the organization, most recently serving as Vice President. In addition, the organization announced the appointment of Helen Raikes, PhD, as a new Board member and a new slate of officers.
“Dr. Jones Harden has been a champion for babies throughout her career, leading the way in infant and early childhood mental health and throughout the field of early childhood development,” stated Matthew Melmed, Executive Director of ZERO TO THREE. “We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Jones Harden as the President of our Board of Directors alongside our newest member, Dr. Raikes, and look forward to working with them to spark further innovation in our work that moves us closer to our vision of a society with the knowledge and will to support all babies in reaching their full potential. Furthermore, my heartfelt thanks go to Dr. Paul Spicer and our departing officers for all of their work over the past few years to strengthen and support this organization – we are eternally grateful for your efforts.”
“I am honored to lead the Board of Directors through this important time for all our babies and toddlers,” added Dr. Jones Harden. “Right now, we have an opportunity to build a better future for all our children, as more and more people are opening their eyes to the tremendous potential each of our babies holds. Together, we at ZERO TO THREE will continue to pioneer these efforts and help all our children and their families stride toward a stronger future.”
For more than 35 years, Dr. Jones Harden has focused on the developmental and mental health needs of young children at environmental risk, specifically children who have been maltreated, are in the foster care system, or have been exposed to multiple family risks such as maternal depression, parent substance use, and poverty. She is particularly interested in using this research to inform practice, with respect to preventive interventions to promote positive outcomes for children reared in high-risk circumstances, such as home visitation and Early Head Start. Dr. Jones Harden is Alison Richman Professor of Children and Families, University of Maryland School of Social Work, and Director, Prevention and Early Adversity Research Laboratory at University of Maryland.
Helen Raikes, PhD, brings a wealth of experience in child development and early education. Dr. Raikes is the Willa Cather Professor Emeritus of Child, Youth, and Family Studies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where her area of study has been early childhood education, largely focused on using research to improve outcomes and opportunities for low-income children before school begins and on optimizing growth trajectories of children’s early emotional, language, and physiological development. She has received numerous awards for research, teaching, and mentoring, and is the author of two books and over a hundred scholarly articles. Dr. Raikes received her M.S. in human development from the University of California-Davis and her Ph.D. in child development from Iowa State University.
