The Duchess of Cambridge has visited University College London’s Centre for Longitudinal Studies to learn more about a landmark study of children born in the 2020s, undertaking another engagement for her early years’ initiative.
The Children of the 2020s study aims to “understand how a wide range of factors impact children’s social, cognitive, and early language development, their mental health and readiness for school,” says Kensington Palace, and will aim to identify “when developmental gaps start to appear and what more can be done to support disadvantaged families.”
Ahead of her visit to the University, Kate said in a statement that: “Our early childhoods shape our adult lives and knowing more about what impacts this critical time is fundamental to understanding what we as a society can do to improve our future health and happiness. The landmark ‘Children of the 2020s’ study will illustrate the importance of the first five years and provide insights into the most critical aspects of early childhood, as well as the factors which support or hinder positive lifelong outcomes. I am committed to supporting greater in-depth research in this vital area and I’m delighted to be meeting all those behind the study at this early stage.”
During her visit, on October 5th 2021, Kate also viewed archival materials pertaining to historical research for early childhood studies.
One of the pieces she viewed was a ‘birth questionnaire’ that was given to new mothers in 1958 that included questions about mothers’ smoking habits that enabled researchers to track the effects of smoking during pregnancy and how it affected their lives into adulthood. This research led to the public health campaign that stopped women from smoking while pregnant.
“We share with Her Royal Highness a commitment to improving children’s development and life chances through high quality research and good early years policy,” said Professor Pasco Fearon of the UCL Psychology & Language Sciences and Anna Freud Centre, who guided Kate on her visit. “We believe the Children of the 2020s study will play a really important part of that for this next generation of children.”
Added co-investigator, Professor Alissa Goodman, the Director of the Centre for Longitudinal Studies, “We’re delighted HRH, The Duchess of Cambridge, will be able to follow the Children of the 2020s study from its infancy. It is the latest in a proud tradition of cohort studies and will be critical in showing us how the lives of babies being born now will be different to the generations that came before them.”
Kensington Palace noted that this will be the first of many engagements Kate will carry out related to the Children of the 2020s study. Earlier this year, she launched The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood which will work on key research into the early years.
