The Royal Foundation

BIGGEST EVER STUDY ON THE EARLY YEARS

Action on Addiction has warmly welcomed the ground-breaking research on early years, commissioned by the Royal Foundation, that was launched by HRH The Duchess of Cambridge today

This hugely significant report outlines the findings from the 5 Big Questions for the under 5’s, a national survey launched in January 2020, to understand what the UK thinks about early years. Receiving over half a million responses, it is the biggest survey of its kind in the UK and provides powerful insight and testimony on how early childhood experiences relate to the course of an individual’s adult life.   

The study examines the experiences of families living through challenging circumstances, such as addiction, homelessness and poor mental health. It provides clear direction and powerful testimony on the importance of early intervention for families and children experiencing such difficulties.  

Many of the findings and recommendations of the report resonate with our experience of working with families affected by addiction. The delivery and evaluation of our Moving Parents and Children Together Programme (M-PACT) shows that addiction can have far reaching consequences for children, which have the potential to last a lifetime.

As the report highlights, it is incredibly important to promote good parental mental health and to connect families with specialist interventions and sustainable support in their community. Meanwhile, The Duchess’s unwavering commitment to building awareness and understanding of the importance of stability in early childhood has inspired and encouraged our practitioners to continue to expand the life-changing benefits of M-PACT, and to address the barriers of access to treatment for family members affected by addiction.

You can read more about our family-focused work here.

You can read the Royal Foundation Report here.