Alliance responds to IFS research on inequalities in early child development
Leading membership organisation the Early Years Alliance has issued a comment in response to IFS research on inequalities in early child development.
The research found that early cognitive, social and emotional development of children in the UK have changed little between those born in the early 2000s and those born in the early 2010s. It also found that early years shape later life outcomes to a "remarkable degree".
The research can be read .
Commenting, Neil Leitch, CEO of the Early Years Alliance, said:
鈥淚t is extremely concerning that inequalities in early childhood development remained high over the past decade, especially given that the pandemic is very likely to have widened this gap even further in the time since.
鈥淲e know from our own research that Covid-19 has had a significant impact on the learning and development of young children, many of whom have spent the majority of their lives under some form of pandemic restrictions. Early educators have worked incredibly hard to mitigate the impact of this on children鈥檚 learning, but they themselves need support to be able to continue to do so.
"The IFS report rightly states that a child鈥檚 experiences in the early years shapes their later life outcomes 鈥榯o a remarkable degree鈥. Given this, if the government is truly committed to its 'levelling up鈥 agenda, then surely there is no better place to start than in the early years.
鈥淓arly educators play a pivotal role in ensuring that all children, regardless of background, get the best possible start in life. Ministers simply must recognise this, and invest in our vital sector accordingly, if we are to have any chance of closing the inequality gap once and for all.鈥