The Early Childhood community is part of the strategic theme ‘Dynamics of Youth’ of Utrecht University. In this community, a multidisciplinary group of early childhood researchers and societal partners are united to further understand early development from different angles.

The Early Childhood community is organizing the ‘REACH’ conference on 11 and 12 December 2025 to bring together researchers in the field of Early Childhood and share experiences and knowledge. We aim to inspire interdisciplinary discussions and strengthen the interdisciplinary network of Early Childhood researchers at Utrecht University and UMC Utrecht.

REACH is short for ‘Reaching New Heights in Early Childhood Research’, which is the overarching theme of the conference. In the Early Childhood community, we believe that a multidisciplinary view is valuable and necessary to further Early Childhood research. Gaining new perspectives and understanding early development from different points of view is essential to unraveling the importance of (very) early life experiences and the interaction between genes, individuals, and environments on child development and the unfolding of human behavior over the course of a life.

The conference comprises a two-day program, with opportunities to hear about and present recent and ongoing early childhood research at the Utrecht University. During the conference, our main goal will be to foster exchange between researchers and create opportunities for future connections and collaborations.