The Science of Snuggles: How a First Thousand Days Grant Sparked a Movement for Babies and Their Brains
- SCVF
- Apr 8
- 5 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
In the St. Croix Valley, a quiet revolution is underway—one bedtime story, lullaby, and belly laugh at a time.
No one hands you an instruction manual when you become a parent. But what if simple words could provide a foundation for your baby’s developing brain?
Talk. Read. Sing. Play.
These are the guiding actions behind Little Moments Count, an initiative grounded in neuroscience and made possible in the St. Croix Valley through a bold philanthropic idea: what if we invested in the first 1,000 days of a child’s life—the most critical window for brain development?
That idea sparked Bill and Rita Lawson of Somerset, Wisconsin, to establish the First Thousand Days Fund at the St. Croix Valley Foundation in 2022. Inspired by the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis’ research showing the lifelong returns of investing in early childhood, the Lawsons hoped to catalyze action close to home—and they did!
In 2025, the St. Croix Valley Foundation’s First Thousand Days Competitive Grant Program awarded $167,000 to 13 organizations across Minnesota and Wisconsin—thanks to the Lawsons and many generous donors who were inspired to join them. This was the second year of the First Thousand Days Competitive Grant Program. In 2024, its inaugural year, $149,300 was awarded to eight organizations.
A Valley of Firsts
“St. Croix Valley was the very first place in Wisconsin to host Little Moments Count,” said Kristen Mollan, Community Health Manager at HealthPartners’ Lakeview Hospital. “Thanks to the First Thousand Days grant in 2024, we were able to launch here, bringing lessons from our work in the Twin Cities metro area and adapting them to what’s needed in rural communities.”
What followed was a grassroots surge of support. In just one year, more than 20 local partners—from libraries and nonprofits to public health departments and employers—joined forces under the Little Moments Count banner. Together, they launched a regional council, hosted community events, distributed educational materials, and featured local family stories on the Little Moments Count radio podcast.
The message is simple: talk, play, sing, and read with your little one. But the impact is profound. Science shows that everyday interactions in a child’s first 1,000 days—roughly from conception to age three—lay the neural foundation for lifelong learning, relationships, and overall well-being.
From Pilot to Powerhouse
The initial 2024 First Thousand Days grant was meant to spark exploration. “The St. Croix Valley Foundation took a chance on something,” said Mollan. “We didn’t know if it would resonate with Valley communities. That first year was a trial, but we’ve been able to show real momentum. Now we’re expanding both our reach and impact.”
One powerful outcome? The Little Moments Count St. Croix Valley Council—a cross-sector network of 20+ partners who now meet regularly to identify regional priorities, share insights, and co-create a roadmap for collective action.
Before this, early childhood professionals in the Valley lacked a common table to connect. Now, they have a shared space—both literal and figurative—to move forward together.
Collaboration Is the Secret Sauce
If science is the reason behind Little Moments Count, collaboration is its heartbeat.
The initiative’s success is driven by a trio of key partners—HealthPartners, Family Resource Center St. Croix Valley, and Family Friendly Workplaces—each receiving First Thousand Days funding and each playing a unique role.
“Each organization brings something different,” said Neil Kline, Development & Communications Manager at the Family Resource Center and the Executive Director of Family Friendly Workplaces. “HealthPartners developed a research-based campaign with easily digestible messaging. Family Resource Center St. Croix Valley brings our extensive home visiting programs and experienced parent educators. And Family Friendly Workplaces helps us engage local employers—who are a crucial part of the support ecosystem.”
Together, they’re expanding the circle of education and care—hosting events, shaping workplace policies, distributing toolkits, and reaching families in clinics, libraries, workplaces, and online.
Turning Up the Volume on Early Childhood
From podcasts to parenting toolkits, the Little Moments Count movement is turning up the volume—literally—on early brain development.
In 2024, the entire Little Moments Count initiative:
Reached more than 8,000 new parents through the Little Moments Counts Birth Center program.
Engaged with more than 30,000 people at community events.
Reached 995,000 people through online social media channels.
Expanded its healthcare collaborative to include the HealthPartners Valley Hospitals.
Logged over 14 million media impressions through a statewide campaign supported by Minnesota Public Radio.
Locally, families feel the difference.
“We hear it all the time at events,” said Mollan. “Parents are already overwhelmed. But when they realize these interactions can be simple and meaningful, they feel encouraged, supported, and confident in their role as their child’s first teacher. Many parents who have older kids tell us they wish this had existed when they were raising their kids.”
It’s Not Pixie Dust—It’s Philanthropy
It takes more than goodwill to build a movement. It takes vision, trust, partnership, collaboration, and sustained investment.
“My joke is: we don’t run on pixie dust,” said Kline. “People don’t always realize how much staff and coordination it takes to do this work well. The First Thousand Days Fund is a true gift to this region—and one that will support this work forever. That’s rare. We’re very lucky.”
That’s exactly what donors Bill and Rita Lawson hoped for: to support and amplify what’s working, and to help more babies and families in the St. Croix Valley thrive. To do so through regional partnership and collaboration is icing on the cake.
A Donor-Inspired Ecosystem of Impact
Little Moments Count is just one example of the ripple effect created by the First Thousand Days Fund. Through this competitive grant program, the Foundation is empowering nonprofits to do what they do best: serve children, families, and communities in ways that matter most.
Congratulations to all 2025 First Thousand Days Grantees:
Bridge to Books – Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library (Washington County) – $10,000
Chisago Lakes School District #2144 – Early Childhood Education (Chisago County) – $5,000
Elsie’s Barnyard – Babies at the Barnyard (Pierce County) – $3,000
Family Friendly Workplaces, Inc. (Regional) – $5,000
Family Resource Center St. Croix Valley (Regional) – $30,000
Lakeview Hospital – Little Moments Count (Regional) – $30,000
Larsen Family Public Library – Storytime Program (Burnett County) – $1,000
Mahtomedi Early Childhood (Washington County) – $5,000
Pierce County Public Health Department – Birth to 3 Program (Pierce County) – $8,000
Reach Out and Read Minnesota (Regional) – $30,000
Reach Out and Read Wisconsin (Regional) – $30,000
Western Dairyland EOC – Child Care Partnership Program (St. Croix County) – $5,000
Wyoming Area Creative Arts Community – Babies Are Artists, Too! (Chisago County) – $5,000.
These programs reflect a rich mix of innovation and care—from arts-based learning to pediatric literacy to rural health outreach—all working toward the same goal: supporting children and families in the most important stage of life.
The Beginning of Everything
It’s perhaps unusual to see such clear alignment between donor vision and intent, nonprofit innovation, and community need. But in the St. Croix Valley, the First Thousand Days Fund is making that alignment not only visible—but transformational.
“The Foundation didn’t just provide funding,” said Mollan. “They catalyzed something. They empowered us to collaborate with the community, creating capacity to listen, learn, and innovate in ways that reflect what families in the St. Croix Valley truly need.”
In doing so, they honored the intent of the donors—who believed that investing in life’s earliest moments would yield the greatest returns.
And they helped spark a movement.
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