Greenville Mom to Travel to D.C. for Strolling Thunder

Jessica Sharp from Greenville will join families from all 50 states and the District of Columbia to gather on Capitol Hill for Strolling Thunder on May 8, a chance to share their stories with their Members of Congress and urge them to take action for stronger families, vibrant communities, and a prosperous country.

The science is clear – babies’ brains grow faster between the ages of 0 and 3 than at any later point in life. In fact, their brains form more than 1 million new neural connections every second. When babies have nurturing relationships, early learning experiences and good nutrition, those neural connections are stimulated and strengthened, laying a strong foundation for the rest of their lives. The opposite is also true – when babies don’t get what their growing brains need during this crucial time, it can lead to life-long developmental, educational, social, and health challenges.

"When we Think Babies and Act to invest in infants, toddlers and their families, we ensure a strong future for us all,” said ZERO TO THREE Executive Director Matthew Melmed. “We are rallying to be the voice for babies across America. We’re bringing the thunder to Capitol Hill to ensure that Congress knows that healthy childhood development should always be top of mind when they walk through these halls every day.”

In addition to meeting with policymakers and their staff, families will join ZERO TO THREE, Members of Congress, and organizational partners for a mid-day rally on Capitol Hill. A digital day of action will take place on May 8 as well, engaging partners, advocates, and families across the country in urging Congress to Think Babies and Act via email and social media.

Strolling Thunder families and ZERO TO THREE are calling on Congress to create a national paid family leave program so parents have time to bond with their babies; increase access to quality, affordable child care, and; increase investments in Early Head Start so that more families living in poverty can benefit from the comprehensive services it provides.

Sharp says, "All parents need some form of paid parental leave in order to be successful. Being a new parent is hard enough even without having to also worry about how bills will be paid."

The ZERO TO THREE Think Babies campaign encourages everyone to become part of the team that is fighting for our future. Sign up at thinkbabies.org today to learn more and take action. Funding partners for Think Babies include the Perigee Fund, a supporter of the public education and advocacy aspects of Think Babies, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which supports the campaign’s public education aspects.