Joyce Molenaar

171 General discussion to the different needs and barriers which cannot be solved separately. In the design and facilitation of such learning infrastructures, we can draw insights from both international as well as national examples, such as the learning network designed within the ZonMw program for unintended pregnancy and vulnerable parenthood (Dutch abbreviation: KOOZ) (95). This national network brings together multiple research projects and collaborative (learning) networks across the country. Related to learning are education and training. Ideally, young professionals are educated in the importance of cross-sectoral collaboration and the first thousand days right from the start of their career. In this context, interprofessional training is optimal to gain insight into each other’s value and start practicing the necessary competencies for collaboration at an early stage. Broaden the scope beyond the first thousand days In efforts to broaden the scope of the action program Solid Start, certain municipalities are working towards a ‘first 100 + 1000 days-approach’, or a ‘first 2000 days’ approach. The former more explicitly includes the preconception period. A recent study into preconception care showed that there is potential to increase the awareness and uptake of preconception care (96), and several experts call for normalization of the question ‘do you want to become pregnant in the coming year?’. It is recommended to place greater emphasis on preconception care and the promotion of a healthy pregnancy, and to make it a more explicit component of the approach. The latter ‘first 2000 days’ approach continues to age five, and thus extends till the school period. In scientific literature, these ‘next thousand days’ are described as a critical period to reinform and establish healthy development, including executive and cognitive functions, social-emotional interactions, language and literacy, and self-regulation (97). This period marks a transition from a predominantly home-based environment to increased exposure to the outside environment, as children prepare for and enter formal schooling. Recognizing that development trajectories extend beyond the age of two and acknowledging the importance of coherent resource allocation and alignment, it may be relevant to extend the program’s focus to the first 2000 days to ensure continuity between early life and school. 6

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