The first 1000 days
The Children’s Hospital Alliance (CHA has submitted evidence to the Health Select Committee’s inquiry into a child’s first 1000 days (from conception to aged two), which outlined the need to prioritise early years investment by returning to the Sure Start Local Programme model.;
In a comprehensive submission, the CHA has emphasised the vital importance of a child’s earliest years – which have a profound impact on their health, development, and future life.
A surer start
Drawing on a 2019 Institute for Fiscal Studies report, our submission highlights how Sure Start programmes were linked to substantial reductions in hospital admissions, alongside better parental relationships, improved child development and long-term health and economic benefits.
The submission sets out a vision for future provision, calling for local centres to offer 24/7 infant feeding support, help with sleep, speech and language development, school readiness programmes, perinatal mental health services and peer support for parents.
We would like these programmes to be accessible, professionally staffed and delivered in community spaces that families can easily access.
Improving healthcare and tackling inequalities
Our submission also focused on:
- Recruitment challenges across specialist workforces such as neonatal intensive care and health visiting
- The impact of waiting for treatment on children and their families and the need for earlier diagnosis and treatment
- Social prescribing in the acute sector
- Co-locating support services in hospitals to tackle social inequality
- Increasing vaccination uptake
- Highlighting best practice nationally and internationally
The earliest years of children’s lives are the building blocks for their futures. We look forward to the Health Select Committee’s findings.