First 1,001 Days: Special Report

The first 1,001 days of a child's life is a unique period of opportunity when the foundations are laid for optimum health, growth and cognitive, social and emotional development.

Ensuring children have the best health and care in the first 1,001 days can be an important protective factor in reducing poor outcomes later in life. For this reason, understanding the building blocks of early life and how the state can support and enhance the development of these has become an increasingly important issue for policymakers and campaigners.

There is strong evidence that support for parents-to-be and in the first two years of a child's life can help reduce the impact of trauma caused by neglect and social problems and improve attachment between mother and baby.

However, recent parliamentary inquiries have highlighted how austerity has led to deep cuts to many of the universal services that help families in the first 1,001 days, including health visiting, parenting support and children's centres. It comes as funding for early help provision is also being squeezed by the recent rise in demand for crisis services.

Parliamentarians have called for the government to redress the balance, so more money is targeted at support for the youngest children, and a cross-ministerial working group has been commissioned by the Prime Minister to develop a strategy for making this happen.

CYP Now's special report on the first 1,001 days summarises findings from latest research on the issue, analyses key policy developments and highlights four examples of impactful practice in supporting young children.