Duchess urges better early years support
Royal mother says too few understand how early years are crucial to happiness in later life
The Duchess of Cambridge will today declare that only a quarter of parents understand the critical importance of early childhood, as she warns that poor care during the first five years can result in family breakdown, addiction and homelessness. She will refer to the biggest study of its kind in the UK, which concluded that parents needed better support and access to information from “society as a whole”. The 52-page report was commissioned by the Royal Foundation.
THE Duchess of Cambridge will today declare that only a quarter of parents understand the critical importance of early childhood, as she warns that poor care during the first five years can result in family breakdown, addiction and homelessness.
She will refer to the biggest study of its kind in the UK, which concluded that parents needed better support and access to information from “society as a whole”.
The 57-page report said the significance of pregnancy and pre-school development must be better promoted, and warned that the current lack of understanding could lead to a “passive” approach to childcare.
Commissioned by the Royal Foundation, the report, State of the Nation: Understanding Public Attitudes to the Early Years, has been hailed as a milestone moment for the Duchess, who has spent nine years focusing on children under the age of five and the impact of those years upon later life.
Its conclusions will inform her work for years to come as she seeks to create generational change. Next year, the Duchess, 38, will announce ambitious plans to help elevate the importance of early childhood.
Kensington Palace said the research had already been described as “invaluable” within the early years sector, which is expected to draw extensively on its findings. The cost of late intervention is estimated to be around £17 billion a year in England and Wales.
The report highlighted a discrepancy between scientific and parental understanding of the significance of early years development, and a “gap in knowledge” about how this pivotal period was perceived.
While 98 per cent said they understood that nurture was essential to lifel ong outcomes, only 24 per cent recognised that the most pivotal period for health and happiness in adulthood was from pregnancy to age five.
Most – 57 per cent – deemed all of a child’s life to be equally important.
In a speech to be delivered at a Royal Foundation forum today, the Duchess will say that problems such as poor mental health are often grounded in a difficult childhood.
But she will add that “positive protective factors” in the early years can play a role in shaping future lives.
“The early years are not simply about how we raise our children,” she will say.
“They are, in fact, about how we raise the next generation of adults. They are about the society we will become.”
In the course of her work, the Duchess has discovered that adverse experiences during childhood can impact negatively on future relationships.
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.”
Royal sources have indicated that the speech will show the mother-of-three in a new light as she talks passionately about the cause that has become so close to her heart.
The report was compiled from various pieces of research, conducted by Ipsos MORI, including the Royal Foundation’s “five big questions on the under-fives” poll, completed by more than 500,000 people, the largest ever response to a public survey of its kind.
It found that while the vast majority of parents of under-fives recognised that their own mental health played a crucial role in that of their children, three quarters found the varying demands of parenthood stressful and only one in 10 took time to look after themselves when preparing for the arrival of their baby. Feelings of judgment were found to have a huge impact, with seven in 10 parents feeling judged by others, and almost half saying this negatively affected their mental health. Meanwhile, six in 10 non-parents admitted that they judged parents. The report also found that parental loneliness had dramatically increased during the coronavirus pandemic – from 38 per cent to 63 per cent – with those living in the most deprived areas the worst affected. More than a third of parents expect the pandemic to have had a negative effect upon their long-term mental health.
The report says it is crucial parents feel “society as a whole supports them in bringing up their child”. Its findings are intended to promote debate.
Purnima Tanuku, chief executive of the National Day Nurseries Association, said the report was “crucial” in highlighting the importance of early years and must be considered in any policy decisions affecting families.