The Duchess of Cambridge was in Southwark on Tuesday morning, visiting a support group called Parents and Communities Together, or PACT, to learn how communities can support families and parents.
Tuesday’s visit was a continuation of Kate’s work of “raising awareness of the importance of early childhood experiences and of collaborative action in order to improve outcomes across society,” according to Kensington Palace.
During her visit, the Duchess met with parents and children supported by PACT’s Mumspace Group, which helps local parents work through challenges they’re facing, as they may not have access to wider support without the group. Kate also met with volunteers who support the group and a health visitor who regularly attends to provide advice and joined in a cooking workshop.
As the health visitor and programme operators discussed how Mumspace helps teach parents about the importance of the early years and how it impacts brain and language development, Kate said: “As a new mum, I would have liked that. I think I would have learned a lot. The importance of play!
“What’s so fantastic is seeing the amazing work that’s going on here. That support you’re providing is amazing. The science backs it up.”
PACT was founded in Southwark by Citizens UK and has since expanded into Leeds and Newcastle, according to the Royal Foundation, after parents, and other community leaders determined that “mental health issues and isolation” were described “as the biggest challenges impacting on their ability to parent and give their children the best start in life.”
Kate will appear on CBeebies Bedtime Story this weekend to end Children’s Mental Health Week, reading The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark by Jill Tomlinson on 13 February. Later this month, she will travel to Denmark to learn more about the country’s approach to early childhood development on behalf of the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood.
