Introduction to why Early Years Matters
All children deserve the best start in life – we must aim to fulfil every child’s right to thrive. The earliest years of a child’s life lay the foundations for their health, wellbeing and future outcomes. What babies and young children experience affects how they learn and develop. Persistent exposure to adverse environments and experiences in the early years, such as poverty, often means that young children don’t have equal access to the conditions that enable them to do well. Relative poverty for households where there is a child under five continues to rise rapidly, though economic disadvantage does not inevitably lead to poor outcomes for children. Key factors play a significant role in mitigating the causes and effects of poverty. Our responsibility is to maximise the chances of good outcomes for babies and children through multi-sector, long-term commitment and proportionate investment so that all families are given fair access to opportunities for their children.
The content is split into sections below in PDF format with a 'full read' section at the bottom of the page, all sections have live links.
Key Definitions
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A non-exhaustive list of key words and terms that are frequently used in discussions of the learning and development of babies and young children and are important to the purpose and context of this Knowledge Bank theme.
Brain Development in the Early Years
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The early years (pre-birth to five) are a time of unrivalled brain growth. The connections that form during these years provide the foundation for how children learn and develop.
Circumstances and Experiences in the Early Years
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The environments and experiences that babies and young children are exposed to will have an impact on their growing brains, their wellbeing, and learning over time.
Poverty Impacts on Early Learning and Development
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Poverty affects every aspect of families’ lives and impedes fair access to opportunities for babies and young children to thrive.
The Detrimental Cost of Inadequate Investment and what is Urgent
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There needs to be multi-sector commitment and investment to end child poverty and secure equal opportunities for babies and young children.
References and Further Reading
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References and further reading.
Why Early Years Matters Full Read
Collated sections into a full read piece.
