AI Chat Support for Parents in Early Childhood
REACH-START develops and evaluates a responsible artificial intelligence chatbot to support (future) parents with everyday parenting questions in the first 1,000 days of their child. This public-private partnership brings together TNO, EagleScience, Voor Werkende Ouders and societal partners to design, test and implement a safe digital support tool within preventive youth healthcare.
The first 1,000 days of life are crucial for healthy development. Parents frequently seek advice on sleep, nutrition, crying and daily routines. At the same time, youth healthcare services face increasing demand, workforce pressure and growing digital expectations. Many parents search online and in common generative AI, such as ChatGPT, where information quality varies widely. Accessible, reliable and understandable support is essential to reduce uncertainty, prevent unnecessary referrals and strengthen equal opportunities for children.
REACH-START develops an AI chatbot that provides evidence-based, age-specific and understandable guidance, based on validated public health guidelines and trusted sources. The system is designed according to privacy-by-design and ethics-by-design principles and complies with European data protection and artificial intelligence regulations. The chatbot supports parents directly and refers to professionals when questions are complex, medical or urgent. Professionals remain in control, and human oversight is embedded throughout the process.
The project will deliver a validated AI chatbot prototype demonstrated in relevant operational preventive youth healthcare environments (TRL 6), supported by a tested safety and governance framework. The project will generate evidence on performance, inclusiveness and professional integration, and define the steps required for scaling towards full operational deployment.
