Kate warns ‘not enough is being done’ to protect children: Princess of Wales vows to do ‘everything she can’ to help ‘build a safe and loving world’

• Kate Middleton warned ‘not enough is being done’ to help the next generation
• She pledged to to do ‘everything she can’ to protect and nurture Britain’s youth
• The Princess already campaigns to highlight the importance of early childhood

The Princess of Wales last night warned that ‘not enough is being done’ to help the next generation.

Kate Middleton pledged to use her role to do ‘everything she can’ to protect and nurture Britain’s youngsters.

Her pledge follows a decade of work and royal engagements in which she has focused closely on early years development.

She told The Daily Telegraph: ‘There are fantastic examples of what can be achieved when we recognise the unique potential of early childhood and build a safe and loving world around a child.

‘But not enough is being done. That is why I am determined to continue to shine a light on this issue and to do everything I can to secure much greater focus on those first crucial few years for the youngest members of our society — they are, after all, our future.’

Kate Middleton last night warned that ‘not enough is being done’ to help the next generation. She pledged to use her role to do ‘everything she can’ to protect and nurture Britain’s youngsters, after a decade of work and royal engagements in which she has focused closely on early years development

Setting out her mission for the next stage of her life in the Royal family, the Princess, 40, spoke on the ‘unique importance’ of the first five years of life, claiming it is possible to ‘create a healthier and happier society for future generations’.

Under her former title of the Duchess of Cambridge, the Princess has already taken part in several campaigns to raise awareness of the importance of early childhood.

Next week, she will take her message to Boston in the US, as part of a three-day trip focused on the Prince of Wales’s Earthshot Prize.

While in 2023, she is expected to launch another awareness-raising campaign as part of the next phase of the project.

‘If we are going to tackle the sorts of complex challenges we face today like homelessness, violence and addiction, so often underpinned by poverty and poor mental health, we have to fully appreciate those most preventative years and do everything we can to nurture our children and those who care for them,’ she added.

‘We have an incredible opportunity, armed with all we now know as a result of the work of dedicated scientists, researchers and practitioners, to make a huge difference to the mental and physical health of generations to come.’

According to new research from the London School of Economics, it is argued that it costs £16 billion to remedy long-term mental and physical health issues that may have been avoided through intervention in childhood.

Amanda Berry, the chief executive of the Royal Foundation, said: ‘The Princess of Wales has developed a real knowledge and passion for this work over the past decade and has made it clear that in her new role her commitment is as strong as ever.

‘Ensuring that people understand the importance of the first five years of a child’s life and the huge impact early childhood has on shaping the rest of our lives will continue to be a major focus of Her Royal Highness’s work.

‘This is also where The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood is uniquely placed to help.

The Princess of Wales speaks with parents and children during a visit to Colham Manor Children’s Centre in Hillingdon in West London on November 9. Thanks to new research, we now know that in the first five years of our lives our brains develop faster than at any other time and that the impact of those years is ‘hugely significant’, said the Princess

‘There is so much good work going on in the early years sector already – what we can do is shine a light on the issue, draw public attention to it and in doing so create a climate for change and an environment in which babies and very young children are prioritised.’

The princess said people have to fully appreciate early childhood and do everything they can to nurture children and those who care for them if society is to tackle the complex challenges it faces.

She wrote: ‘Over the past 10 years, talking to a wide range of experts about how we deal with societal issues like poor mental and physical health, I have become more and more sure of one thing: if we are going to create a healthier and happier society for future generations, we must start by understanding and acknowledging the unique importance of the first five years of life.

‘Early childhood, from pregnancy to the age of five, fundamentally impacts our whole lives, establishing the core foundations which allow us to go on to thrive as individuals, with one another, as a community and as a society.’

She said the body of evidence to support this has grown substantially over the past 30 years, adding that we now know that in the first five years of our lives our brains develop faster than at any other time and that the impact of those years is ‘hugely significant’.

The Princess of Wales meets a young child at the Rainbow Centre, an organisation that offers an open door to the community of Scarborough, North Yorkshire, on November 3. The princess said people have to appreciate early childhood and do everything they can to nurture children

Writing for Saturday’s newspaper, she said: ‘It is the way we develop through our experiences, relationships and interactions at that very young age that shapes everything from our ability to form relationships and succeed at work, to our mental and physical health as adults.

She added: ‘We have an incredible opportunity, armed with all we now know as a result of the work of dedicated scientists, researchers and practitioners, to make a huge difference to the mental and physical health of generations to come.

‘That is why I am determined to continue to shine a light on this issue and to do everything I can to secure much greater focus on those first crucial few years for the youngest members of our society — they are, after all, our future.’

Kate has focused on mental health and the early years of childhood as she has developed her role over the years, and is known to meticulously research the issues facing the charities she works with.

She has previously visited Denmark to learn more about their investment in early childhood development, having launched The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood in June 2021, which aims to raise awareness of the importance of early years experiences in shaping society over the long term.

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