Early Moments Matter

1 in 3 parents of babies and toddlers across Britain are struggling to access support.

From face to face appointments and speaking to health professionals parents and carers can trust, to affordable nurseries and mental health support. Parents can only do so much – vital services must be there with expert advice and reassurance to back them up.

For too many, local services just aren’t available when they’re needed most.

Every child has the right to be as healthy as they can be, to learn, and to develop to their full potential.

But the Government hasn’t put them first. There’s no national plan for early childhood. Local authorities are left to make impossible choices. No matter how hard health and childcare professionals work, they can’t cover everyone’s needs. It means the support available to parents and carers now depends on where they live. This isn’t right.

We’re campaigning for the UK Government to deliver a National Baby and Toddler Guarantee, because #EarlyMomentsMatter.

As part of our policy work on early childhood, the UK Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF UK) and the University of Cambridge’s Centre for Research on Play in Education, Development & Learning (PEDAL), have launched a new resource to support local areas in a shared understanding of mental health in infancy and early childhood.