• There are 1001 days between conception and a child’s second birthday, these days are critical for brain development. During these days the brain builds the foundation for what is to come later in life.

• A child’s brain is made up of different areas in charge of emotion, logic, language, memory, behaviour, and motor skills. While genes provide the blueprint, interconnected circuits between different areas of the brain grow stronger or weaker depending on a child’s experiences.

• If an unborn baby or young child has their needs met and experiences love, care and attention the connections in their brain will grow stronger. If unborn babies and young children experience toxic stress in the first 1001 critical days, it can physically have a long term negative effect on their brain development and affect their behaviour and actions at developing stages in their lives.

• Unborn babies and children understand a lot of what is going on around them and they need their home to be a place where they feel safe. It is in a safe environment they are more likely to thrive, meet their developmental milestones and achieve positive outcomes.

• Children often describe that living in a home where domestic abuse is a factor makes them feel sad, scared, isolated, confused, angry, anxious, lonely, and responsible.  

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