05.11.2025
Koi Tū Centre for Informed Futures has marked a major milestone for the Chloe Wright Policy Unit with its inaugural symposium hosted by the Social Investment Agency in Wellington on Monday 3 November.
The Chloe Wright Symposium brought together policy leaders, researchers, and social sector partners to discuss integrated approaches to improving outcomes for children, young people, and families.
A living legacy of vision and action
The Chloe Wright Policy Unit was established to honour the late Chloe Wright, with support through the Wright Family Foundation. The unit translates evidence across health, education, welfare and justice into actionable policy that supports all tamariki and whānau in Aotearoa to thrive.
Sir Peter Gluckman, Director of Koi Tū, says: “Understanding how early life shapes future wellbeing is essential to building a flourishing society. The Chloe Wright Policy Unit provides a platform to bring science and policy together, to ensure that robust analysis of the evidence leads to real impact.”
Professor Mark Hanson, Emeritus Professor of Human Development and Health at the University of Southampton and Honorary Koi Tū Senior Fellow, joined Sir Peter Gluckman and other experts to explore strategies to address the ‘wicked problems’ facing families and young people, from maternal mental health and intergenerational disadvantage to digital-age wellbeing.
The Symposium highlighted the importance of the need for evidence and data in decision making and collaboration between government, research and community partners. Koi Tū thanks the Social Investment Agency for hosting the event.
At the event, we launched a new publication, Foundations to Thrive: policy briefs for child and family wellbeing, authored by Dr Felicia Low and Dr Seungyeon Kim. It consolidates years of Koi Tū’s relevant research into accessible policy briefs.
