The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood

Our Business Taskforce member Iceland truly see themselves as a voice in local communities with a responsibility to try to shift culture. They have committed to change the narrative around talking about mental health. Their mental health training, as part of their partnership with Campaign Against Living Miserably, will make such a difference! Iceland Foods Iceland Foods Charitable Foundation

After lots of work behind the scenes with the wonderful Institute of Health Visiting (iHV), we are delighted to confirm the expansion of the trial of a tool used by health visitors within routine checks to promote infant wellbeing. The tool, known internationally as the Alarm Distress Baby Scale (ADBB), focuses on a baby’s social behaviours such as eye contact, facial expression, vocalisation, and activity levels to help practitioners and families better understand the ways babies express their feelings. Last year we funded the first phase of the trial in two NHS Trusts. Following the overwhelmingly positive results of that phase, we are now expanding the trial of the modified version of the tool to eight more NHS sites, which will benefit thousands more families across the UK. The second phase will build upon the findings of the first and will focus on the impact of the tool, and how it is experienced by parents. https://lnkd.in/ezYPEnpn

Play is powerful! It encourages babies and young children to develop the social and emotional skills that help shape the rest of their lives. Read more about the LEGO Group’s mission to inspire, develop and empower children to learn and thrive through play on our website: https://lnkd.in/dM-Fm8WE

It was wonderful to be in Edinburgh talking to Scottish business leaders and experts from the sector.   Thank you to NatWest Group for hosting us and providing brilliant economic context and leadership in what they are doing to help support their early years partners.   Highlights from the discussion included:   - A better understanding from the business leaders of how they could champion early childhood internally and also with their partners - A great discussion around how community and construction funds can be more meaningfully used if businesses work in partnership with sector experts.   Thanks to our hosts and all attendees. We look forward to seeing more progress!

This year’s Carol Service at Westminster Abbey was all about celebrating love, empathy and the importance of community during the festive season. Don’t forget to tune in tonight on ITV and ITVX at 7:30pm to watch the #TogetheratChristmas Carol Service, which includes a lovely performance from some young children and their older friends! 

Since we published our business case for investing in early childhood, we have been working with companies of all shapes and sizes to talk about how they can get involved and play their part. It was a pleasure to be in Belfast talking to people from across the Northern Irish economy, as we look to mobilise this movement right across the UK. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eWdE-5VZ

Meet our new advisory group member Emily Samuel, a child psychotherapist who has been working with children and adolescents for over 14 years. Our advisory group members all have a shared passion for the fundamental importance of early childhood, from pregnancy to the age of five. Her guest essay delves into the impact of attachment on social and emotional development. Read more on our website: https://lnkd.in/eV_zts5H

Earlier this year, The Royal Foundation Business Taskforce for Early Childhood published a report setting out the business case for prioritising early childhood. Since then we have heard so many inspiring stories and examples of tangible action that businesses are making. The opportunity for business to drive, and benefit from, prioritising early childhood in the workplace and wider community is huge. We’re welcoming more businesses to join this movement and focus on how they can support early childhood to help create a healthier, happier society. https://lnkd.in/eF77USze

Kinship Care Week (7-13 October) has officially landed and so has our new #ThisIsKinshipCare animation. 🎥 To ensure this poignant animation travels far and wide this #KinshipCareWeek, please hit the share button. 🌎 Written in their own words, #KinshipCarers speak to the joy, the warmth, the humour, the love, as well as the challenges of being a #KinshipFamily. They have graciously shared their true and authentic experiences to help raise awareness of how beautiful and complex #KinshipCare is. 💛 #KinshipCareWeek #ThisIsKinshipCare

This #worldmentalhealthday, we caught up with three of our Business Taskforce members, IKEA, Iceland Foods Charitable Foundation and the LEGO Group, to discuss the importance of workplace mental health. Parental well-being is the biggest single factor in determining a child’s well-being, and we know that becoming a parent places additional pressure on mental health. We also know that parents make up a significant part of the UK workforce – 76% of mothers and 92% of fathers are in work. Employers have a huge role to play.