Princess Kate Shines a Light on Early Childhood Development in New Op-Ed
The princess writes about the importance of creating a "healthier and happier society for future generations."
Princess Kate is spreading awareness of the importance of nurturing children for a "healthier, happier society."
The Princess of Wales has written a new op-ed for The Telegraph, in which she writes on one of her passions: early childhood development. In the article, the princess says that the period from pregnancy through the first five years of a child's life are crucial for "establishing the core foundations which allow us to go on to thrive as individuals, with one another, as a community and as a society."
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"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," she wrote.
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Princess Kate has spent the past decade researching the links between children's experiences and interactions at a very young age and their later physical and mental health as adults. In June 2021, she announced the The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, her organization which aims to push for increased awareness of and new research into the impact of the early years.
"If we are going to tackle the sorts of complex challenges we face today like homelessness, violence and addiction, which are 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 wrote in the op-ed.
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"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," she concluded.
Kate has also been a vocal advocate of children's mental health, which closely links to her early childhood development research. In addition to the Centre, she serves through her patronage with British children's charity Place2Be, as well as providing mental health resources throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
This article originally appeared in Harper's BAZAAR US.