Conservative Andrea Leadsom, Liberal Democrat Paul Burstow, Frank Field for Labour and Caroline Lucas from the Green Party want to highlight the importance of the first ‘1,001 critical days’ of a baby’s life, from conception to the age of two.
The report says that a quarter of babies in the UK are at an increased risk of abuse or neglect, living in complex family situations with problems such as mental illness or drug abuse, and that there is a crucial ‘window of opportunity’ during pregnancy and in the first two years, when the advice and support parents are given can help turn a baby’s life around.
At-risk families should be able to access evidence-based services that promote parent-infant interaction, it says.
To do this it recommends that more early intervention services for babies should be evaluated to prove their effectiveness, including a scientific evaluation of parent-infant psychotherapy.
It also says that maternity services, social care, adult mental health services and children’s centres should work closely together to share information to help identify families who need extra support. It also suggests pooling budgets to encourage ‘innovative commissioning’ and a culture of joined-up working.
In her foreword to the manifesto, chief medical officer Sally Davies says the early years are a key moment for brain development.
‘As our understanding of the science of development improves, it becomes clearer and clearer how the events that happen to children and babies lead to structural changes that have life-long ramifications. Science is helping us to understand how love and nurture by caring adults is hard wired into the brains of children,’ she says.
The manifesto is backed by more than 30 children’s and health charities and organisations, including the NSPCC, the Wave Trust, as well as the Pre-School Learning Alliance, and the London Early Years Foundation.
It includes a call for childminders and early years settings caring for under-twos to focus on the attachment needs of babies and infants, with Ofsted providing specific guidance on how this can be measured effectively.
It also says that those working in early years and health should receive high quality training in infant mental health and attachment.
Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Pre-School Learning Alliance, said he was ‘delighted’ that the issue was being given cross-party support.
‘We work extensively with families in deprived areas and support its call for registered childminders, day nurseries and childcare settings caring for children under two to focus on the attachment needs of young children.’
But he added, ‘We are not convinced by the manifesto suggestion that Ofsted would be the right agency to provide specific guidance on how attachment can be measured effectively.’
He also said, ‘We would urge caution with the manifesto’s overemphasis on children’s centres to deliver these intervention services to families. In some situations it may be more appropriate or effective to involve community-based parent and toddler groups, pre-schools, one o’clock clubs and toy libraries to help reach these new families. These are accessible services that already successfully support many families and are often a natural progression from antenatal classes for many parents and carers.
‘Such early years services frequently offer the first social interaction that babies, toddlers, mothers and fathers experience outside of their immediate family. They offer ideal opportunities to provide advice about parenting, health checks and other services in an inclusive, less formal and welcoming environment. While these services may not be as politically high profile as children’s centres, for many families at the heart of the manifesto’s vision, these services are more relevant and responsive to their needs.’
Each of the four MPs will also be launching the manifesto at their respective party conferences later this month.