On the 27 November 2020, the Duchess of Cambridge announced the results from her public survey on the Early Years, ‘5 Big Questions on the Under Fives’. This was the first time that the UK public have been asked for their views on the topic of early childhood in an open survey, this is part of an extensive body of research commissioned by The Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. The survey was conducted by Ipsos MORI and it had a huge response showing that the country wants to talk about this issue and that the early years really do matter! With this said only 25% of parents understand the importance of Early Years and the role this plays in their child’s development.
The Duchess opened her speech by challenging the view that she is only interested in Early Years because she has three small children. Instead, she reflected on her involvement with charities having seen how experiences such as homelessness, addiction, and poor mental health are often grounded in a difficult childhood – but also how positive protective factors in the Early Years can play a crucial role in shaping our futures.
The Duchess called for us to be kinder and support parents and some of the findings warrant this call to action:
70% of parents with 0-5-year-olds feel judged by others leading to low self-esteem, sadness, feelings of inadequacy and anxiousness
Parents prefer to be in the playgroup or the park with their children as they feel less likely to be judged there:
Parental loneliness has increased during the pandemic from 38% to 63% due to being cut off from friends and family. The increase in loneliness for parents is more apparent in deprived areas.
The mental health and wellbeing of parents has a greater impact on the development of their children
She thanked people working in the Early Years and recognised that what we do takes hard work, and we are not in it for the “quick win but for the BIG win”.
This year, the Duchess will announce ambitious plans to help elevate the importance of early childhood with the aim of bringing positive change to the lives of children under five across the country and to also reduce the need for late intervention.
Rosedene Nurseries want to get behind this public conversation and help, parents, friends, family, and neighbours. Rosedene are committed to supporting families, parents, employees, and the community in 2021. So please get in touch if there is anything, we can support you with.
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