The Duchess Presents New Early Years Research: "Every Second We Spend with a Child Is an Investment in Our Collective Future"

The Duchess of Cambridge's Royal Foundation Centre for Early Years celebrated its first anniversary with the release of new research shared during a roundtable discussion hosted by Kate at the Royal Institution.

Kensington Palace said: "The roundtable discussion focused on research led by the centre into early childhood development, as well as the huge opportunity that there is to shape the future of our society by focusing on the importance of early childhood to lifelong outcomes. Conducted by Ipsos on behalf of the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, the research follows on from the Duchess of Cambridge’s landmark survey on the early years in 2020, entitled the ‘5 Big Questions on the Under Fives’, which attracted the largest ever response to a public survey of its kind with over 500,000 responses in one month, sparking a national conversation on the early years."

The Palace noted the new research "delves deeper" into "public perceptions of early years".

A Palace spokesperson continued: "In February this year, the Duchess and the Centre for Early Childhood travelled to Denmark to learn about their approach and investment in early childhood development, which is widely regarded as world-leading. Over the past decade, the Duchess has seen first-hand how some of today’s hardest social challenges have their roots in the earliest years of a person’s life and is committed to raising awareness of the importance of early childhood experiences and of collaborative action to improve outcomes across society."

Guests invited to the roundtable discussion included Secretary of State for Health Sajid Javid, Minister for Families Will Quince, officials from the Department of Health and Social Care, and the Department for Education.

The Telegraph reports:

'The event marks a significant milestone in the Duchess’s long-term work on early childhood development.

It is hoped that by highlighting the results of new research, the Government will understand the “huge appetite” for driving awareness and action on the wider impact that the first five years of life can have on society at large.'

Attendees listen to the presentation.

The results of the research found:

• Nine in ten agree the early years are important in shaping a person’s future life but less than a fifth recognize the unique importance of the 0-5 period.
• Seven in ten think the early years should be more of a priority for society.
• A Majority of the public recognize a person’s future mental health and wellbeing is most likely affected by their early childhood.
• Community support networks were found to be crucial for parents.
• Parents are more likely to seek support for a child’s physical wellbeing than social and emotional development.

The findings were accompanied by several societal observations: "There is near unanimous agreement (91%) that the early years are important in shaping a person’s future life, but only 17% recognise the unique importance of the 0 – 5 period relative to other age brackets. That being said seven in ten (70%) believe it should be more of a priority for society as a whole. Over half (55%) of the public recognise a person’s future mental health and wellbeing is most likely to be affected by their development in the early years, followed by their ability to make and maintain relationships (51%) and their future happiness (40%)."

Kelly Beaver MBE, Chief Executive of Ipsos UK and Ireland, said: "Although the majority of us agree that the experiences people have in childhood can have a significant impact on their future, a minority of Briton’s recognise the unique importance of the first five years of a child’s life. These formative years are crucial in the emotional, social and physical development of every child and this critical new research, for The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, provides the opportunity for society to ignite a discussion about how parents and children can be better supported during this period."

On the findings, the Duchess said: "The findings published today present us with a huge opportunity and demonstrate there is real appetite from the public to bring this issue up on all of our agendas. There is more we can all do – every member of society can play a key role, whether that is directly with a child or by investing in the adults around them – the parents, the carers, the early years workforce and more. If we come together to raise the importance of early childhood development, we’ll soon see that healthy, happy individuals make for a healthier, happier world. Which is why every second we spend with a child is an investment in our collective future."

More from the Times:

'Everyone has a role to play in children’s early life, the Duchess of Cambridge has said, as a survey found that less than a fifth of people know how important the first five years are in a child’s development.

The report by The Times Education Commission, published this week, calls for an increase in early-years funding, targeted at the most vulnerable. It calls for a unique pupil number for every child, granted at birth, with support aiming to level the playing field before they arrive in the classroom.' 

The full report entitled 'Understanding Public Attitudes to Early Childhood' can be read here.

The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood website can be found here.

A video from the roundtable in which Kate thanked guests for attending despite their busy schedules, adding: "I really appreciate it." The Duchess continued, "I know this is a hugely complex subject and there is already so much work being done by the government and I'm aware of that."

The Duchess looked fabulous in a pink Alexander McQueen trouser suit. The look ticked all the boxes: professional, summery, stylish and as always -- it's McQueen -- beautifully tailored.

The Alex jacket features sharp shoulders, angular pockets and comes in 'ice pink'.

Kate accessorised with her Mappin & Webb Empress earrings and pendant.

Kate teamed the suit with her Emmy London Rebecca pumps in 'pink makeup'.

The Duchess also carried a past season Smythson folder.

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One more great shot by Chris Jackson.

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It's looking unlikely we'll see the Cambridges at Royal Ascot this week, as they have previously favoured the first or second day. I do expect there may be new portraits towards the end of the weekend for William's 40th birthday.