Faure and Parent Sense Chief Operating Officer Tové de Chazal Gant recently travelled to the United States to embark on this intensive three-month product development and market access programme, joining a global cohort of fellow start-ups working to transform maternal and early childhood health systems, says the platform.

The Thrive Center Innovation Hub Fellowship brings together entrepreneurs and sector leaders from around the world who are developing innovative solutions to improve outcomes for children and families.

Faure, an Occupational Therapist by profession, says, "If we want to change the trajectory of maternal and early childhood well-being, we need both evidence and audacity. The Thrive Fellowship creates a rare space where rigorous research and bold innovation meet, and that combination has the potential to transform systems that have failed families for far too long."

de Chazal Gant adds, "We've always believed that supporting parents early is one of the most effective ways to improve long-term health and developmental outcomes. What's been most exciting for us is seeing the data validate this: when parents engage with the right support at the right time, we see real impact for families and for the systems that support them."

Since its inception, Parent Sense has grown into an authoritative digital platform that supports families during pregnancy and the early years of a child's life. Combining developmental science, medical expertise and technology, the platform provides parents with personalised guidance on infant health, development, sleep, feeding and parental well-being through a mobile app, digital courses, expert content and AI-enabled support tools, says the platform.

The platform now works with a number of South Africa's largest medical aids, including Momentum Health, Discovery Health and Medihelp, supporting thousands of families across the country with evidence-based guidance during the critical first 1 000 days of a child's life. 

This critical period — the first three years — is widely recognised as laying the foundation not just for a child's long-term health and development, but also for parental well-being during one of the most overwhelming and important periods of their lives, adds the platform.

With a digital-first approach, Parent Sense enables healthcare systems to reach large populations of parents while maintaining personalised support. The platform is designed to be accessible across languages and cultures, enabling it to serve diverse populations and improve preventative healthcare outcomes during a child's early years.

The Thrive Center at Georgetown University is regarded as one of the US's leading institutions advancing research, practice and innovation at the intersection of child development, mental health and community wellbeing. The Innovation Hub Fellowship supports leaders working to scale solutions that improve outcomes for children and families worldwide, concludes the platform.

For more information, visit www.thrivecenter.georgetown.edu. You can also follow the Thrive Center on Facebook, LinkedIn, or on Instagram.

*Image courtesy of contributor