Early Years
Research Centre
He Kôhanga Toi Tangata
Invitation to the seminar
Growing Up in New Zealand: Now we are Two
DATE: Monday 11 August, 2014
VENUE: TT1.05, Faculty of Education, The University of Waikato
TIME: 4–5pm followed by drinks and nibbles in TT1.12 (Mclaren Room)
Growing Up in New Zealand is our country’s most contemporary longitudinal study which has
gathered information from a cohort of approximately 7000 children and their families since before
birth. A number of data collection waves have been conducted during the first 1000 days of life
(from conception to age two years) of the Growing Up in New Zealand children, a period in the life
course acknowledged as being critically important for shaping multiple outcomes including health
and wellbeing, cognitive and educational achievement, and later behaviours. This seminar will
describe recent findings from Growing Up in New Zealand, including the achievement of milestones
as well as aspects of family, household, environmental and societal interactions that are important
influences on the development of children to two years of age (as well as potentially markers
of vulnerability). Also provided will be discussion of the opportunities to maximise the utility of
Growing Up in New Zealand’s unique and rich national resource to ensure that we can realise the
full potential of all our children, in the context of their families, whānau and wider communities
through effective analysis, policy and programme development.
Dr Polly Atatoa Carr
Associate Director, Growing up in New Zealand, Waikato Clinical School
Child Health Unit, Waikato District Hospital
Dr Polly Atatoa Carr is an Associate Director of the Growing Up in New Zealand study, based
at the Waikato Clinical School, and a Public Health Physician in the Child Health Unit at
Waikato Hospital. Polly has broad interests and experience in population health and child
development and is particularly passionate about how we translate population-based
evidence into policies and programmes that improve outcomes, and eliminate inequities,
for families.
Please RSVP by Monday 4 August, 2014 for catering purposes: [email protected]
For further information contact
[email protected]