Children’s early development is significantly influenced by factors such as parental health, family stress, and the quality of their living environment. Children growing up in socially vulnerable circumstances often experience disadvantages from the very beginning. A lack of coherence between the medical and social domains also hinders effective and integrated support.

In the current era—marked by persistent societal uncertainty, such as the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing geopolitical tensions, growing social inequality, and the impact of the climate crisis—these differences are only exacerbated. The need for early and targeted intervention is greater than ever. An interdisciplinary approach is essential to understand and sustainably address the complex interplay of factors.

About Healthy Start

Healthy Start is one of five research programs under the Convergence Alliance, the collaboration between Erasmus MC, Delft University of Technology, and Erasmus University. Together with social partners, parents, and young people, we identify opportunities and bottlenecks and develop preventive strategies for a healthy, promising start from pre-conception to young adulthood. Our research and projects focus on six interconnected themes: The First 1000 Days, The Children’s Hospital of the Future, An Active Lifestyle for Children with Chronic Illnesses, Mental Well-being of Young People, Juvenile Delinquency and Addiction, and Youth Participation in Research and Policy.

Co-creative research

At Healthy Start, we connect various scientific perspectives and practical knowledge with the Rotterdam Region as a testing ground. This transdisciplinary approach is the foundation of Convergence and, in our view, essential in the search for answers to complex societal issues.
Through ambitious programs, long-term and short-term projects, events, innovative education, an active and learning community, and co-creative labs, we bring together students, researchers, lecturers, and social partners and develop a shared language and goals. In this way, we create an ecosystem in which research, practice, and education reinforce and accelerate each other.

What is Convergence?

TU Delft, Erasmus University Rotterdam, and Erasmus MC have joined forces in Convergence. The urgent and complex societal challenges of our time demand fundamentally new forms of collaboration, working across institutional and disciplinary boundaries to develop new perspectives and solutions.

The Team

Healthy Start is made possible by a highly committed team of researchers and experts with diverse backgrounds and expertise – our academic Leads, the leaders of the six Ambition Programs, the Young Community, the large group of committed researchers, our social partners, and the support team.