Thousands of children will be involved in early childhood education
Tea
Thousands of children are set to join the Early Childhood Study as part of the 2020 Children’s Research.
The study, commissioned by the Department of Education and led by researchers from University College London, will follow children for at least the first five years of their lives.
The study’s researchers say it hopes to inform decisions about the early years and childcare services, revealing how both the pandemic and the cost of living crisis have affected children.
The research, which is the first birth cohort study to be undertaken since the millennium, will be conducted in partnership with Ipsos, the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, and Birkbeck, University of London.
Baby Feet (Andrew Matthews / PA) / PA Wire
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Research director Professor Pasco Fearon said he was “extremely excited” to begin meeting the families and their babies, who are currently nine months old.
“More than 75 years ago, the first British birth cohort study, housed at UCL, began to track the lives of children born right after the war.
“And now, the children of 2020 will provide important evidence about the early years as families find their way out of the COVID-19 pandemic and through the crisis of survival.”
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, he said the study is expected to include 8,500 children, exploring both positive and negative changes over the past 20 years.
“A lot has changed since the millennium, right… Father’s leave and so forth,” said Prof Fearon.
These kids are kind of growing up under the shadow of the pandemic, and we don’t know what some of the effects will be and that’s going to be something that we want to understand really well
“So family life has changed a lot – we know these are things that can affect children’s development, both positively and negatively, so the question is, how is it going now.
“These kids are kind of growing up in the shadow of the pandemic, and we don’t know what some of the effects will be and that will be something that we want to understand really well. We are witnessing a survival crisis, which can have a huge impact on families as well. ,
He added that there are also many positive changes to be explored, such as fathers being more involved in parenting than 20 years ago, more diverse forms of family, and a digital explosion “where parents are digital natives, Leave the children to yourself”.
Parents will be asked about their child’s development, their neighborhood, their family, their mental health and the learning environment in the home.
They will also be asked about childcare arrangements and preschool education for their children.
Between surveys, they’ll be invited to use a smartphone app to track their child’s language and development, as well as receive news and tips from a team of experts.
Prof Fearon said: “Our first five years are an important developmental period in our lives, with every new experience playing an important role in how we move on later.
“This new study will examine how children develop and the circumstances and services of the early years that can make a difference.
“By understanding how these factors affect their development, we can learn how to support them so they can have the best start in school and flourish as they get older.”
The Duchess of Cambridge visits the Center for Longitudinal Studies at University College London to meet leading early years researchers and learn more about their new study (Justin Tallis/PA) / PA Archive
Children and Families Minister, Will Quince, said: “This is a groundbreaking study that will provide insight into the critical early years of a child’s life and provide a wealth of evidence about their developmental and educational outcomes.
“We know the pandemic poses unique challenges for families and I want to thank the thousands of people who will take part in this study over the next five years.
“We are committed to supporting families, including a million-pound package to transform services that will create family centers in half of all local authorities and parents through a start-for-life offer. Will provide important advice to caregivers.”
Speaking ahead of a visit to UCL last year to focus the study, the Duchess of Cambridge said: “Our early childhoods shape our adult lives and it is fundamental to learn more about the effects of this critical time on how we are a society. As can do to improve our future health and happiness.
“The landmark Children of 2020 study will clarify the importance of the first five years and provide insight into the most important aspects of early childhood as well as factors that support or hinder positive lifelong outcomes.”
