Jocelyn and her daughters play a card game at their home, England, August 2022.
Jocelyn and her daughters play a card game at their home, England, August 2022.

Early Moments Matter

Campaign with us for a Baby and Toddler Guarantee

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Home > Campaign with us to protect children’s rights > Early Moments Matter Campaign

Why are we campaigning?

Nearly 90% of parents with under fives are worried about their child’s future life chances.

Families are under growing pressure. With costs rising rapidly, it’s a struggle to afford even the basics that young children need. And the support systems they turn to are broken.   

Social security should be a safety net for all – but it isn’t working for parents. Affordable, quality childcare isn’t locally available for every child. Parents feel stressed and isolated. Over half say they have struggled with their mental health, but there is no support to help them cope.  Our survey with parents of under fives across Britain revealed that:

  • 38% dread the holidays because of the financial strain they put on the family,   
  • 25% have had to borrow money/gone into debt to make ends meet/pay for the essentials,  
  • 63% report struggling with their mental health while being a parent,  
  • 62% say childcare is one of the biggest challenges facing parents. 

*Data collected May/June 2024 via YouGov panel, nationally representative sample of 2892 parents of children age four and under in GB (with 534 respondents from Scotland). Download full results here.

What are we calling for?

It’s time to invest properly in early childhood. We need to break down the barriers children and their families face in accessing opportunities they are entitled to. Every young child has a right to the best start in life, to develop and thrive and be ready for the next phase. Ready to engage and learn in school, grow up healthy, and gain the skills for a fulfilling career.   

That’s why we’re campaigning for the UK Government to deliver a National Baby and Toddler Guarantee, because #EarlyMomentsMatter. As a priority, the guarantee will make sure that:

  1. Every baby and toddler can access affordable, high quality early education and childcare in their local area.
  2. Financial support that works for all parents and carers of babies and toddlers is accessible when they need it, including ending the two-child limit policy and benefit cap.
  3. All parents and carers of babies and toddlers can access quality mental health support. 

Find more

Understanding and supporting mental health in infancy and early childhood – a toolkit to support local action in the UK.

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Early childhood education and care for refugee and asylum-seeker families in England

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Blog: Babies, children and young people’s mental health in the UK

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