Educating the incoming administration and Congress on the import of babies' earliest life experiences in shaping lifelong health and development

The Foundation's initiative, Starting Early: Preventing Obesity Through Healthy Pregnancy and the First Two Years, was designed to conduct exploratory work for the period of pregnancy through a child's second birthday that will inform research and policy agendas and future work in this area.This grant supports the creation and launch of a communications campaign designed to raise awareness among policy makers of the importance of policies and investments that support healthy development during the earliest months of life. Early life experiences shape a child's health and developmental trajectory. Drawing from brain science, the campaign will target the first 100 days of the new administration and is meant to ensure that members of the incoming administration and Congress have the right information to better support the very youngest in our society. Project deliverables will include the launch of a campaign website; production of an educational video; digital, paid, earned and social media materials; and an event on Capitol Hill.