Foundations to thrive: Policy briefs for child and family wellbeing

Foundations to thrive: policy briefs for child and family wellbeing, authored by Dr Felicia Low and Dr Seungyeon Kim, consolidates years of Koi Tū’s relevant research into accessible policy briefs.

Read the brief

This is the first publication for the Chloe Wright Policy Unit, which was established to honour the late Chloe Wright with support from 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.

Each chapter distils evidence into concise, practical insights for policy and systems change related to early life, covering the following themes:

1. Intergenerational disadvantage: Why maternal mental health matters
2. Early investment: A key to reversing intergenerational disadvantage and inequity in Aotearoa New Zealand
3. Executive functions: A crucial but overlooked factor for lifelong wellbeing
4. Bonding: The importance of supporting parents to bond with their child from the earliest years
5. Perinatal mental distress: An under-recognised concern
6. Promoting resilience in children and young people
7. Ahead of the game: Why play is the key to children’s future success
8. Preparing our children for language learning
9. Screen time: The effects on children’s emotional, social, and cognitive development
10. Childhood obesity: Reducing the risk through early-life measures
11. Beyond genes: How fathers play a biological role in the health of future generations