The First 1,000 Days

By supporting families during the pivotal first 1,000 days of life, we create more equitable beginnings and set all children on a path to success.

During the first 1,000 days of life — from conception through age two — our brains develop more than any other time in our lives. The wellbeing of a caregiver and their child is closely linked during this critical period, and research shows that the effects of poor nutrition, neglect and stress on a child’s developing brain shape their health and success well into adulthood.

Maximizing Investment by Focusing Upstream

The Upstream Initiative has focused on supporting families during the first 1000 days, because the scientific and economic data point to this time as the most critical in determining life-long outcomes.

This concept is highlighted by the work of Professor James J. Heckman, expert in the economics of human development. He is a Nobel Memorial Prize winner in economics and the Henry Schultz Distinguished Service Professor of Economics at the University of Chicago. 

Professor Heckman’s ground-breaking work with a consortium of economists, psychologists, statisticians and neuroscientists shows that early childhood development directly influences economic, health and social outcomes for individuals and society. Adverse early environments create deficits in skills and abilities that drive down productivity and increase social cost.

Professor Heckman determined that the average return on investment in early childhood development is 13% - averaging between $4 and $16 per every dollar invested as illustrated in the graphic below.

The Heckman’s Curve shows the greatest ORI comes from the earliest interventions.

National Resources

The Collaborative collaborates with mission-aligned organizations across the country to share knowledge and best practices.

Nurture Connection (National)

Nurture Connection advances Early Relational Health so that all families can experience the joy and lifelong health benefits that come from strong, positive, and nurturing relationships in early childhood.

First 1,000 Days Suncoast (SW Florida)

First 1,000 Days Suncoast is a partnership of nonprofit organizations and health care providers that create a network of free and affordable services to help families during pregnancy and their child’s first 1,000 days of life.

Rx Kids (Michigan)

Rx Kids is the first program in the country to provide universal and unconditional place-based cash prescriptions to pregnant people. Families receive a one-time $1,500 payment during pregnancy, then $500 per month for either six or twelve months during the infant’s first year of life.