London, 9 July 2021 - Welcoming the report of the Early Years Commission, Dan Paskins, Director of UK Impact at Save the Children UK, said:
"Expanded rights to paid leave for new parents are critical. Both mums and dads need protected time away from work to develop a close relationship with their new baby, without worrying about the financial impact. It’s particularly important for new dads on a low income, who often miss out but can have a big impact on their baby’s early development if they get protected time off.
"More broadly, the report’s findings that only 1% of adults think the government has prioritised young children during the Covid-19 pandemic should be a wake-up call for the government. Young children's development and relationships have been hit hard by the pandemic but they've received little extra support. They have been largely ignored in the government’s education recovery plans. There is no recovery plan to offset the huge disruption to health visiting and other vital family services that support parent with their child’s early development.
"We hope this important new report will prompt further action from the government. The report’s proposals for expanded parent support services, family hubs and children’s centres in low-income communities should be prioritised, to ensure parents and young children get the support they need as we emerge from the pandemic."
Your browser or network settings do not allow features used by this page. Please try a different browser or network.