Program Description

In a child’s First 1000 days of life the greatest number of brain cells are developed. Although a baby is unable to speak, there is clear evidence that meaningful exchange between parent and child builds the foundation of language development, proven to be the building blocks of neural pathways. Almost half of the children—43% in Pinellas and 45% in Hillsborough County– enter kindergarten without the skills needed for school success. By the age of 18 months, children who have not experienced rich engagement with parents and caregivers begin to fall behind their peers.

Research has shown that low- and moderate-income families (who disproportionately fall among minority groups) are less adept in the parenting skills needed to ensure their children are ready to enter Voluntary Pre-K and Kindergarten. The system of care for children and families in the Suncoast community is very fragmented and complicated.

From generous support from the Super Bowl Host Committee Legacy 55 program and PNC Bank Foundation, the First 1,000 Day Tampa Bay Pilot Program has secured funding for three years to support 20 targeted families with newborn children with wraparound support and build out a community referral platform. By developing this network, nonprofits and government agencies can do better by their clients to ensure they have support to help them thrive— health care coverage for their children, access to wellness services, early learning development, and basic childcare during the First 1,000 days of life and beyond.

Program Goals

• Improve safety net for families through county-wide care coordination platform
• Support a long-term behavior change for targeted families
• Cultivate the growth of strategic partnerships and convening of key leaders including parents to develop positive change in the Suncoast community.
• Show a large return on investment. Programs targeting babies and young children yield the largest return on investment leading to better education, health, and economic outcomes.