The Core Story for Early Childhood Development and Learning Collaboration is a long-term communications initiative to transform the way early childhood development and learning is understood in Australia.

The Core Story will collectively develop and disseminate a common and evidence-informed narrative on early childhood development as well as a targeted awareness campaign.

The first phase of the resultant “Bright Tomorrows Start Today” campaign launched in October 2018, introducing an animated puppet, which represents the developing brain of a young child. The fuzzy blue creature first appeared on screens during the Channel 7 Telethon weekend and immediately captured the community’s attention on social media.

This first installment of the Core Story campaign offered parents and carers an insight into the remarkable receptiveness and learning capacity of the infant brain, which develops over one million neural connections every second. It is intended to be the first installment of an ongoing, national campaign which ultimately aims to transform the way early childhood is understood and responded to in Australia.

The Core Story was established by Minderoo Foundation and Telethon Kids Institute in partnership with leading US communications science group FrameWorks Institute and 12 major voices in early childhood across Australia.

There are significant challenges to communicating information about early childhood development in Australia.

While we know that early experiences have profound effects on the development of children’s brains and biological systems – and this development can affect learning, health, relationships and shape a person’s future chances in life – research suggests the significance of early childhood development is not yet realised by the Australian public.