Research project
My First 1000 Days: A feasibility study of centering-based group care to improve physical, psychological, developmental, and social outcomes of caregivers and infants
- Start date: January 2023
- End date: February 2026
- Value: Philanthropic funding, Duncan and Jaynie Ford
- Primary investigator: pscjcgh, hcsahe
- Co-investigators: psskmb, 00955860
- External co-investigators: Professor Angharad Beckett (Centre for Disability Studies, School of Sociology and Social Policy), Professor Cat Davies (School of Psychology), Professor Marion Hetherington (School of Psychology), Professor Linda McGowan (School of Healthcare), Professor Amanda Waterman (School of Psychology), Dr Marlies Rijnders (TNO Innovation for Life), Dr Symone Detmar (TNO Innovation for Life)
- Postgraduate students: Dr Kinga Patterson, Dr Rumana Hossain
Description
Project overview
The first 1000 days of a child’s life, from the moment of their conception to their second birthday, is a critical period during which the foundations for development and lifelong health are laid.
My First 1000 Days focuses on giving children in the Leeds area the best possible start in life. This ambition aligns with both national guidance and the local priorities of the Leeds Health and Wellbeing Strategy and the Leeds Children and Young People’s Plan.
Research overview
The overall aim of this project is to develop, implement and evaluate a disability inclusive centering-based group care programme incorporating physical activity, nutrition, and language and cognitive development, targeting families with children during the first 1000 days in Leeds.
The centering-based group care approach, developed by TNO and successfully implemented in the Netherlands, integrates group care into routine antenatal and postnatal programmes. An alternative to traditional one-to-one care, it uses three methods; self-assessments and individual check-ups, group learning and experience sharing, and peer support and community building.
Project update
The My First 1000 Days feasibility study is entering an exciting new phase, building on what we’ve learned to create more flexible and inclusive support for families. While the original intervention model could not be implemented as planned, this experience has provided valuable insights into the real-world challenges families face. These lessons are now shaping our next steps and supporting the design of solutions that better meet community needs.
Strategic Reorientation
The project will now adopt a pretotyping approach, a recognised methodology in implementation science that enables rapid, iterative testing of programme components with smaller groups and shorter timeframes.
As part of this next phase, the project will deliver four standalone, topic-based sessions for parents and caregivers. Families can attend one or more sessions depending on their interests and circumstances, rather than committing to a full programme. This flexible format makes participation easier and ensures we gather meaningful feedback to refine future support models.
This phase aims to:
• Engage stakeholders to identify recruitment barriers and preferred support models.
• Test and refine programme elements to enhance feasibility and acceptability.
• Generate qualitative insights to inform future intervention design and delivery.
This repositioning builds on the substantial groundwork achieved during Phase 1, including programme conceptualisation, community engagement, and framework development.
Why This Matters
The first 1,000 days of life are critical for a child’s development. This new approach gives families flexible, accessible opportunities to engage with support that fit their needs and preferences. By listening and adapting, we aim to co-create practical solutions that work for real lives.
Research Governance and Ethics
We are preparing an application for NHS ethics review, which would enable recruitment through NHS pathways if approved.
Collaboration and Timeline
The current collaboration agreement will conclude on its scheduled end date in February 2026, with continued liaison on obligations and future opportunities until then. The pretotyping phase will extend through August 2026, culminating in academic outputs and policy recommendations.
Project Timeline
Research aims
Identify, and map, current service provisions and policies across Leeds.
Identify area(s) of Leeds as appropriate settings for future implementation of the My First 1000 Days programme.
Conduct a scoping review to identify, and map the breadth and depth of literature, implementing group-based programmes targeting primary caregivers and children during the first 1000 days.
Establish key stakeholder groups to engage throughout the development, implementation and evaluation of the My First 1000 Days project.
Explore the context-specific factors that will enhance or impede centering-based group care, considering the needs of primary caregivers and families (especially from vulnerable populations), the issues facing care providers and the facilitators and barriers of health care systems.
Conduct interviews with key stakeholders, such as primary caregivers and key informants, to inform the content, and context, of a centering-based group care intervention (a feasibility study).
Monitor and evaluate implementation of centering-based group care in Children’s Centres, assessing fidelity, sustainability, costs, effect and perceptions of benefit.
Assess the acceptability and feasibility of families receiving centering-based group care.
Assess the preliminary effectiveness of centering-based group care on caregivers and infant physical, psychological, and social outcomes.
Assess the acceptability and feasibility of healthcare practitioners implementing centering-based group care, including the training received to implement centering-based group care.
Identify context-specific factors that enhance or impede centering-based group care, considering the needs of parents/caregivers, the issues facing care providers and the facilitators and barriers of health care systems.
Develop and disseminate an implementation strategy toolbox for the adaptation, implementation and scale up of the core components of centering-based group care during the first 1000 days.
Workstreams
Early Language and Cognitive Development – led by Leeds Child Development Unit lead Professor Cat Davies and Professor Amanda Waterman in the School of Psychology
Physical Activity; led by Dr Camilla Nykjaer and Professor Karen Birch in the School of Biomedical Sciences
Food and Nutrition led by Professor Marion Hetherington and Professor Jason Halford in the School of Psychology
Co-producing a Disability-Inclusive Model of Group Care – led by Professor Angharad Beckett in Centre for Disability Studies, School of Sociology and Social Policy.
This project is delivered by a large consortium of academic and non-academic staff.
Our professional staff include:
Sarah Pontier, Project Manager (School of Psychology),
Rachel Heaton Project Support Officer (School of Psychology) and Dr Neve McLean, Project Research Assistant (School of Psychology)
Events
Watch the below video to find out what happened at the ‘My First 1000 days’ launch event.
You can also watch a selection of talks from throughout the day on YouTube.
Keep up to date with the project by visiting the ‘My First 1000 Days’ website.
You can also connect with the team on LinkedIn and X.