Foundations to thrive: Policy briefs for child and family wellbeing
Understanding how events in early life shape an individual’s destiny, in terms of their physical and mental health and their cognitive and emotional development, is at the heart of informing us about our future society. Human flourishing has therefore been a distinct theme of Koi Tū Centre for Informed Futures since it was founded over five years ago. Over that time, we have produced many evidence briefs that were initially aimed at health professionals but increasingly at the policy and philanthropic communities. Our work was given impetus by the late Chloe Wright, who recognised the importance of linking the science of parental and infant health to policymaking, and encouraged us to focus on the science policy interface. After her untimely death in 2023, the Wright Family Foundation supported us to expand our work, particularly within the policy domain; that work is now encompassed within the Chloe Wright Policy Unit of Koi Tū. The Chloe Wright Policy Unit focuses on the life course between conception and young adulthood. It analyses and summarises the evidence from biomedical, social, educational and psychological sciences to suggest integrated approaches to improving the outcome for the next generation. This is central to the concept of informing our society’s future.
