We are pleased to unveil the finalists of the Good Start Challenge!
The Good Start Challenge is a €2.6 million global challenge to advance innovative solutions to improve the wellbeing of parents and other caregivers of young children in disadvantaged circumstances. The challenge opened in May 2025 and closed for entries in September 2025.
The early years of life – from before birth to six years old – are a unique window of opportunity to transform lives. Babies’ and toddlers’ brains develop rapidly, and small changes at this young age can have lifelong effects that contribute to their optimal development.
Primary caregivers (parents or otherwise) are the most important figures in a young child’s life, and the main contributors to his or her developmental trajectory, but it’s only recently that we’ve begun to understand and acknowledge how significant and transformative the transition to parenthood and the early years are.
Current initiatives focused on parents and other caregivers often prioritise building parenting knowledge and skills. Otherwise, there is limited awareness and rare efforts to address the caregiver’s own wellbeing and mental health. The solutions presented by the recently selected finalists of the challenge aim to support innovation and impact development for parents and caregivers of children aged 0-6 in disadvantaged communities in Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Southeast Asia.
