1001 Critical Days

Monday 02 December 2019

With an increase in worried and anxious children highlighted in the recent Young People's Survey, a local charity is pointing out the importance of the first 1001 days of a child's life and how that can affect their future.

The Bright Beginnings Children's Centre, which is run by Every Child Our Future, follows the '1001 Critical Days Agenda'.

It runs sessions for both children and parents, offering guidance on how to best support children from conception to age two.

"The importance of infant attachment in relation to a happy and healthy life cannot be underestimated," said charity Director, Rachel Copeland. "To reverse the statistics that we have seen in the latest local report about our young people's mental health, we need to intervene early and think in terms of prevention at the earliest point possible.

"The neurological effects on a baby's brain development of the failure to bond or attach to its parent during the crucial first two years of life are profound and only recently understood. By investing early, we will give our babies the best opportunity for a fulfilling life."

Pictured: Concerns were raised about children's mental health in the recent Young People's Survey.

The charity offers support for parents and guardians, and even has a cafe where they can go for advice and help.

"We're educating parents about preventing anxiety and depression even in pregnancy," added Manager, Teresa Bott. "How to look after yourself and prevent peri-natal mental health issues, that sort of education has been really important.

"It's good for them to know that they have someone to come and talk to if they're having anxious and overwhelming feelings."

The importance of the first 1001 days of a child's life have recently been recognised by the Sates, and the agenda is now part of the Children and Young People's Plan.

"It's the foundations that are built up in those first two years of life that are crucial to this process," explained Director, Jane Le Conte. "That's when the healthy brain pathways are laid down. There's a huge amount of organisation of an infant's brain that goes on and that organisation is determined by the environment the child finds itself in. A toxic environment hardwires the brain to react in an unhealthy way."

Pictured: Bright Beginnings.

Deputy Manager, Amy Hook, added: "The more positive experiences we receive, the stronger those pathways in their brain become. They thrive off a positive environment.

"We offer one-to-one support. We do a group support for mums and a six weekly support group for dads that runs about three times a year.

"Mums are able to get some time on their own, support from other mums, know they're not alone and that's a big part of breaking down barriers. We do lots of nurturing and craft activities, so they're able to channel it into something positive and creative.

"You can see it in the babies as well. When the mums start ti smile more themselves, the babies tend to smile more because they're seeing it in their mums' faces and having that interaction and learning from it."

The charity is continuing to grow and is planning to extend to further centres across the island as its offering expands.

Pictured top: Jane Le Conte, Rachel Copeland, Amy Hook and Teresa Bott.