NEW! The County Maternal Health Landscape

As owners and administrators of the local health and human services social net, counties play a critical role in improving the health of pregnant and postpartum people. This report showcases how counties are supporting pregnant residents and creating accessible and equitable local maternal health care systems.

NEW! Understanding the State and Local Role in Home-Based Child Care

These issue briefs aim to help state and local policymakers better understand the unique strengths and challenges of home-based child care and provide examples of how states, counties and cities are thinking creatively about ways to support and invest in home-based providers and the families they serve.

Welcome to Counties for Kids

Join the Network

PN-3 Peer Learning Networks for rural, suburban and urban counties are virtual and held quarterly for county leaders to connect and learn local early childhood innovations and leading practices for advancing PN-3 policies, services and systems. Click here to join a network!

Counties for Kids is a public awareness campaign for county leaders who are committed to making investments in young children from prenatal to age three (PN-3). We encourage all county leaders to join the network of champions advancing PN-3 policies, programs and systems. Whether you are already advancing strong PN-3 policies and systems or just getting started, we have a resource for you!

All counties will have access to free resources, tools and invitations to events to network with peers and learn strategies for moving the needle for young children. Counties for Kids is powered by the National Association of Counties Research Foundation (NACoRF). Learn more about NACoRF here.

Resources

The ABCs of Prenatal-to-Three - Whether your county is just starting out or looking to expand upon existing efforts, this resource offers county elected officials a range of ideas for prioritizing investments that set young children on a path to success.
Counties Getting Started - This self-guided tool is designed for county government administrators and non-profit leaders launching and leading a local prenatal-to-three initiative.
Prenatal-to-Three County Leader Toolkit - This toolkit contains resources and strategies to build awareness, demonstrate commitment and bolster supports for infants and toddlers at the county level. (PDF Version) (Editable Templates)
Celebrating County Leadership in PN-3: Case Studies from the PN-3 County Leaders Academy - This resource showcases how counties are centering young children in their COVID-19 recovery efforts and making investments that will improve outcomes for our communities.
We Can’t Do It Alone: Strategies for State and Local Coordination on Prenatal-to-Three Efforts - This resource shares strategies to help state and local governments better align PN-3 efforts.
Social Media Toolkit - This toolkit contains sample tweets, posts and graphics counties and partners can use to share why prenatal-to-three matters and what your county is doing to support infants and toddlers.
Letter to the Editor Template - This resource was created to help county leaders elevate your county’s PN-3 efforts and share why it is important for counties to invest in young children.
County PN-3 Models - This page highlights examples from a cohort of eight diverse counties who are building stronger futures for young children and their families.