What we do
History of the HealthySteps Model
Evaluation has been integral to HealthySteps’ growth since its inception. We continue to focus on evaluation and evidence while we scale to serve more than 1 million young children and families annually by 2032.
A History of Evidence Building
In 1995, ZERO TO THREE piloted HealthySteps in two sites in Washington, D.C. and Virginia. The Commonwealth Fund then funded a site collaborative replication effort at Boston University School of Medicine and a national randomized controlled trial (RCT) conducted by Johns Hopkins University.
Three Decades of Growth
Following the RCT, the HealthySteps network expanded gradually and organically to 74 sites by 2015, with support from the Boston University School of Medicine. ZERO TO THREE enthusiastically reassumed responsibility for the program in 2015 and began leading National Office operations. A decade later, network growth has skyrocketed to more than 350 sites in 25 states and DC, reaching approximately 520,000 children as of October 2025. We continue to strengthen the network and work toward our goal of reaching 1 million children and their families by 2032.