Kate to unveil her crusade for children
Duchess will make landmark speech to highlight ‘crucial’ early years
THE Duchess of Cambridge will today make her biggest public intervention yet by calling for greater action to protect children i n their crucial early years.
Kate has been the driving force behind a new study – the largest of its kind in the UK – on perceptions of early childhood.
It has found that only one in four people recognise the key importance of the first five years of a child’s life.
In a keynote online speech to mark publication of the research, she will highlight how difficult experiences in early childhood are often the root cause of key social challenges.
These include poor mental health, family breakdown, addiction and homelessness – with the cost of late intervention estimated to be £17billion a year in England and Wales.
The duchess will warn that ignoring early child development is to misunderstand the importance it plays in shaping society.
She will say: ‘Over the last decade I have met people from all walks of life. I have seen that experiences such as homelessness, addiction, and poor mental health are often grounded in a difficult childhood. But I have also seen how positive protective factors in the early years can play a crucial role in shaping our futures.
‘The early years are not simply about how we raise our children. They are in fact about how we raise the next generation of adults. They are about the society we will become.’
Although the future queen does not directly call on the Government for more action, Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Early Years Alliance – who has worked closely with her – said it was vital that those in power recognised her survey’s findings.
He added: ‘We know the first five years of a child’s life are absolutely critical for a child’s long-term life chances, and yet all too often education and learning is seen as something that begins at the school gates.
‘At a time when many parents of young children have been cut off from their normal sources of help... it is vital that the Government recognises the value of the early years and ensures that the vital services that provide such important support are able to continue to do so.’
More than 500,000 people took part in the Royal Foundation’s ‘five big questions on the under-fives’ poll. It was carried out by Ipsos MORI and had the largest-ever response from the public to a survey of its kind.
It found that although 90 per cent see parental mental health and wellbeing as critical to a child’s development, only 10 per cent of parents took time to look after themselves when they prepared for their baby.
The study – which has produced five key insights – also showed that the Covid-19 pandemic has dramatically increased parental loneliness. Some 38 per cent experienced this before the crisis and 63 per cent after the first lockdown – up 25 per cent.
While 98 per cent believe that nurture is essential to lifelong outcomes, some 24 per cent think pregnancy to age five is the most pivotal period for
‘Positive factors can shape future’
health and happiness in adulthood. Kate will today deliver a pre-recorded speech, hailed as ‘passionate and personal’, at an online Royal Foundation forum to discuss the research.
Sources said she will ‘ come across in a new light’ as she sets out her commitment to the issue.
The research has been hailed a ‘milestone moment’ for Kate.
And it will be used to shape her future focus on early years development which, sources say, will continue for the rest of her life.
Kensington Palace added that next year the duchess will announce ambitious plans to help elevate the importance of early childhood.
The duchess has made early years development one of the main pillars of her public role since she joined the Royal Family.
Jason Knauf, chief executive of the Royal Foundation, says in the report’s foreword: ‘She has seen over and over again how often problems can be traced back to the earliest years of someone’s life and it has become her ambition to bring about change in this area.’ He added: ‘Action is what we need. Within these pages lie the opportunities and obstacles which we must collectively embrace if we are to give every child the very best odds in life.’
Other findings include how seven out of 10 parents feel judged by others, and almost half (48 per cent) say this negatively affected their mental health.
The study also highlighted how experiences during lockdown differed for the most deprived communities. Loneliness was more common, with 13 per cent feeling lonely often or always – nearly three times more than the 5 per cent in the least deprived areas.
The report concludes that society as a whole needs to be more supportive of parents and families in the early years.
It said more must be done to promote its importance as well as better support networks to improve parental mental health.
The full data will be shared with those who work in both early years and academic research. It is also expected to be seen by the Government.
The research included further qualitative and ethnographic data, a nationally representative survey conducted before the pandemic and, at Kate’s request, a further survey on the impact of Covid-19 on families.
KATE: MY MISSION TO RESCUE CHILDREN AT R ISK From the Mail, 2018