Tiffany Salter Named ZERO TO THREE Fellow

The Wilmington-based assistant director has been selected for a prestigious leadership fellowship program.

Updated on Sept. 25, 2026 in Child Care

Bold vector editorial illustration showing a stack of wooden educational blocks on a flat surface, representing early childhood development professional growth. — Tiffany Salter, assistant director of the Child First program at Coastal Horizons in Wilmington, has been named a 2026-28 ZERO TO THREE fellow. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Tiffany Salter, Assistant Director at Coastal Horizons in Wilmington, has been chosen as a fellow for the 2026-28 ZERO TO THREE Fellowship Class. She was one of only 20 individuals selected from a pool of more than 300 applicants.

Why it matters

The fellowship provides an 18-month curriculum designed to equip leaders with the tools to improve systems, policies, and programs for families. This selection highlights the regional expertise contributing to broader national efforts in early childhood development.

Salter joins a cohort of 20 fellows selected from over 300 applicants. The program consists of an 18-month leadership development curriculum.

The players

Tiffany Salter

She serves as the Assistant Director at Coastal Horizons and helps lead the Child First program in Wilmington.

Coastal Horizons

This organization is a Wilmington-based agency that provides a variety of community health and human services.

ZERO TO THREE

This national nonprofit organization works to ensure that babies and toddlers have a strong start in life.

The details

Salter currently serves as an assistant director at Coastal Horizons in Wilmington, where she helps lead the Child First program. In 2025, she earned an IMH-E Clinical Mentor endorsement, furthering her qualifications in the field of infant and early childhood mental health.

Salter earned an IMH-E Clinical Mentor endorsement in 2025.
The ZERO TO THREE fellowship runs from 2026 through 2028.

Culture Shift

The selection follows the competitive standards set by the ZERO TO THREE Fellowship, which draws participants from across the country to influence early childhood policy. This marks a continued trend of elevating specialized clinical expertise to address systemic family support needs.

Salter’s participation in the fellowship is expected to bring advanced leadership frameworks and policy insights back to the Wilmington community. This may result in enhanced operational strategies and improved outcomes for local families participating in the Child First program.

The takeaway

Professional development programs like this fellowship offer leaders the opportunity to scale local successful initiatives into broader policy impacts. Implementing evidence-based practices at the administrative level is a crucial step in strengthening community-wide family support systems.