The signatories to the letter are part of the First 1001 Days Movement, a newly launched alliance of organisations spanning the children, family, mental health, maternity and baby sectors.
The movement will support and challenge national and local decision makers to value and invest in babies’ emotional well-being and development.
Evidence shows that the first 1001 days, from pregnancy until a child’s second birthday, are a significant and influential phase in development that lays the foundation for every child’s future health and happiness, the organisations said.
The 76 signatories to the letter to Boris Johnson are asking the prime minister to champion a cross-government strategy for improving outcomes for all children. This should set out a vision for how families will be supported to recover from the impact of Covid-19 and how the Government will begin to ‘level up’ and close gaps in outcomes that have widened during the pandemic.
The letter states, ‘Now it is time to make the youngest in society a national priority too, in order to mitigate the secondary and potentially longer- lasting impact of this crisis.
‘Babies and toddlers have often been missed in Government policy and guidance during the pandemic, even though these early years are a critical time in child development, when they are particularly vulnerable.
‘These issues are not unique to the pandemic, but we have a huge opportunity to make a difference right now, as policy makers decide on Covid-19 relief and recovery packages and begin to think about building back a better Britain.
‘It is time to commit to protecting the wellbeing of babies and toddlers and the parents that care for them. Supporting parents, strengthening early relationships and promoting emotional development will help to protect babies from the adverse impacts of Covid-19 and increase the likelihood that all our children will reach their full potential and experience happy and healthy lives.’
An NSPCC spokesperson said, ‘Families across the UK are facing unprecedented pressure as they attempt to cope with the impact of Covid-19, with pregnant and new mothers having to manage one of life’s biggest changes amidst a national health crisis.
‘At the NSPCC we are very proud to be part of the First 1001 Days Movement because we know how important pregnancy and the first years of childhood are, laying the foundations for lifelong health and happiness. It is also why we launched our important Fight for a Fair Start campaign.
‘At this time of continued upheaval and unrest, we need to see a clear cross-Government strategy for improving outcomes for all children which is supported by clear investment.’
Parents' survey
The letter’s publication coincides with the release of early findings from an online of survey of 5,000 expectant and new parents show that many of them are concerned about the impact of Covid-19 on their babies’ wellbeing and development and on how to get help for themselves and their baby.
The results are released at the start of Infant Mental Health Awareness Week, which raises awareness of the importance of babies’ early emotional wellbeing and development, and its impact on lifelong health and well-being.
The survey conducted by Critical Research on behalf of charities Home-start UK, Best-Beginnings, Parent-InfantFoundation and the Maternal Mental Health Alliance, found that:
- Almost three-quarters (73 per cent) of parents of children aged under two feel the changes are affecting their baby.
- Nearly half of all parents (47 per cent) feel that their baby is more clingy. For parents under 25 this figure is 59 per cent, for parents that are Black or Black British the figure is 60 per cent, for parents of mixed heritage the figure is 61 per cent.
- More than a quarter of parents (27 per cent) think that their child is crying more than usual, rising to more than a third (37 per cent) of parents aged 25 and under.
- More than a third (35 per cent) of parents are not confident that they would know how to get help with their baby’s well-being and development.
The full survey results and analysis will be published later this month.