{"id":4331,"date":"2024-04-17T12:31:11","date_gmt":"2024-04-17T11:31:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hosting2.northumbria.ac.uk\/commonsensepolicygroup\/?page_id=4331"},"modified":"2024-05-31T18:29:01","modified_gmt":"2024-05-31T17:29:01","slug":"early-years-and-childhood","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/hosting2.northumbria.ac.uk\/commonsensepolicygroup\/act-now\/early-years-and-childhood\/","title":{"rendered":"Early Years and Childhood"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-page\" data-elementor-id=\"4331\" class=\"elementor elementor-4331\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-583520da elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"583520da\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-100a23e2\" data-id=\"100a23e2\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-369148ab elementor-widget elementor-widget-spacer\" data-id=\"369148ab\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"spacer.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer-inner\"><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-5ad221d4 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"5ad221d4\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-77495666\" data-id=\"77495666\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1aba59ce elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"1aba59ce\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"630\" src=\"https:\/\/hosting2.northumbria.ac.uk\/commonsensepolicygroup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Common-Sense-Policy-Group-Logo_Horiz_Full-Colour_RGB-scaled.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-3587\" alt=\"CSPG Horizontal Logo\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hosting2.northumbria.ac.uk\/commonsensepolicygroup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Common-Sense-Policy-Group-Logo_Horiz_Full-Colour_RGB-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/hosting2.northumbria.ac.uk\/commonsensepolicygroup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Common-Sense-Policy-Group-Logo_Horiz_Full-Colour_RGB-300x74.jpg 300w, https:\/\/hosting2.northumbria.ac.uk\/commonsensepolicygroup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Common-Sense-Policy-Group-Logo_Horiz_Full-Colour_RGB-1024x252.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/hosting2.northumbria.ac.uk\/commonsensepolicygroup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Common-Sense-Policy-Group-Logo_Horiz_Full-Colour_RGB-768x189.jpg 768w, https:\/\/hosting2.northumbria.ac.uk\/commonsensepolicygroup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Common-Sense-Policy-Group-Logo_Horiz_Full-Colour_RGB-1536x378.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/hosting2.northumbria.ac.uk\/commonsensepolicygroup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Common-Sense-Policy-Group-Logo_Horiz_Full-Colour_RGB-2048x504.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-1a633fc2 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"1a633fc2\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-5703f481\" data-id=\"5703f481\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7e9f7d91 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"7e9f7d91\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Act Now: Early Years and Childhood<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-3f870048 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"3f870048\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-66 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-241e2457\" data-id=\"241e2457\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4524336a elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"4524336a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"703\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/hosting2.northumbria.ac.uk\/commonsensepolicygroup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Early_Years_and_Childhood-703x1024.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-4341\" alt=\"A visual representation of the issues involved in Early Years and Childhood\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hosting2.northumbria.ac.uk\/commonsensepolicygroup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Early_Years_and_Childhood-703x1024.jpg 703w, https:\/\/hosting2.northumbria.ac.uk\/commonsensepolicygroup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Early_Years_and_Childhood-206x300.jpg 206w, https:\/\/hosting2.northumbria.ac.uk\/commonsensepolicygroup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Early_Years_and_Childhood-768x1119.jpg 768w, https:\/\/hosting2.northumbria.ac.uk\/commonsensepolicygroup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Early_Years_and_Childhood-1054x1536.jpg 1054w, https:\/\/hosting2.northumbria.ac.uk\/commonsensepolicygroup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Early_Years_and_Childhood.jpg 1379w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 703px) 100vw, 703px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"widget-image-caption wp-caption-text\">\"Act Now: Early Years and Childhood\" by the Common Sense Policy Group is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 (https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-nd\/4.0\/)<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-33 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-22be13ef\" data-id=\"22be13ef\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-606f7d6b elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"606f7d6b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>The common-sense notion that investments in childhood are\u00a0<span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; background-color: var(--ast-global-color-5);\">critical to outcomes in adulthood is all too often dismissed on\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; background-color: var(--ast-global-color-5);\">grounds of cost, or ignored by politicians focused on short-term\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; background-color: var(--ast-global-color-5);\">gains. Whether it be the removal of free milk by the Thatcher\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; background-color: var(--ast-global-color-5);\">government or the continued debate over free school meals, the\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; background-color: var(--ast-global-color-5);\">failure to apply basic cost\u2013benefit analyses to return on investment\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; background-color: var(--ast-global-color-5);\">leaves the UK more dysfunctional, anti-social, unproductive\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; background-color: var(--ast-global-color-5);\">and unequal. As universal early years provision in some\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; background-color: var(--ast-global-color-5);\">US states and comprehensive support for families in many\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; background-color: var(--ast-global-color-5);\">European countries have shown, investment in children pays\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; background-color: var(--ast-global-color-5);\">off \u2013 creating healthy, active adult citizens capable of making\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; background-color: var(--ast-global-color-5);\">good on our vision. We argue that this can be achieved only\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; background-color: var(--ast-global-color-5);\">by reversing child poverty through the social safety net set out\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; background-color: var(--ast-global-color-5);\">in Chapter 3, introducing free school meals for all, investing in\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; background-color: var(--ast-global-color-5);\">early childhood services and education consistent with education\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; background-color: var(--ast-global-color-5);\">policies in Chapter 8, and future-proofing choices affecting\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; background-color: var(--ast-global-color-5);\">children by embedding Equity Impact Assessments and levelling\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; background-color: var(--ast-global-color-5);\">up the UK with Wellbeing of Future Generations Bills in\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; background-color: var(--ast-global-color-5);\">England and Northern Ireland. This represents a fundamental\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"background-color: var(--ast-global-color-5);\">investment in the children who will be responsible for rebuilding\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; background-color: var(--ast-global-color-5);\">our society in future decades.<\/span><\/p><p>The policy recommendations in this section are drawn from\u00a0<span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; background-color: var(--ast-global-color-5);\">the work of the Child of the North group and the York Cost\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; background-color: var(--ast-global-color-5);\">of Living Research Group.32 They come from a series of recent\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; background-color: var(--ast-global-color-5);\">reports and are based on research evidence and the lived-experience\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; background-color: var(--ast-global-color-5);\">testimony of the low- income families who have participated\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; background-color: var(--ast-global-color-5);\">in the Changing Realties and Larger Families research\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; background-color: var(--ast-global-color-5);\">projects and young people who have engaged with the Child of\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; background-color: var(--ast-global-color-5);\">the North All- Party Parliamentary Group. The overarching\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; background-color: var(--ast-global-color-5);\">policy aim for children should be to invest in welfare, health,\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; background-color: var(--ast-global-color-5);\">education and social security systems that support children,\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; background-color: var(--ast-global-color-5);\">particularly in deprived areas and for those experiencing the\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; background-color: var(--ast-global-color-5);\">greatest inequalities in outcomes.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-11a81874 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"11a81874\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-2e2f5883\" data-id=\"2e2f5883\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3479e614 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"3479e614\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Recommendations<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-48d893e2 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"48d893e2\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-40acbfd5\" data-id=\"40acbfd5\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-51ef95e elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"51ef95e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>The Government should:<\/p>\n<p><ol><li>Introduce the social safety net laid out in Chapter 3 and&nbsp;<span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; background-color: var(--ast-global-color-5);\">remove the two- child limit and benefit cap; or, at the least,&nbsp;<\/span><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; background-color: var(--ast-global-color-5);\">increase child benefit by \u00a320 per child per week, removing&nbsp;<\/span><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; background-color: var(--ast-global-color-5);\">the two- child limit on Universal Credit and legacy benefits&nbsp;<\/span><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; background-color: var(--ast-global-color-5);\">and ending the benefit cap.<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; background-color: var(--ast-global-color-5);\">Tie rates of social security support to the cost of living&nbsp;<\/span><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; background-color: var(--ast-global-color-5);\">and immediately pause the five- week minimum wait for&nbsp;<\/span><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; background-color: var(--ast-global-color-5);\">Universal Credit<\/span><\/li><li>Introduce free school meals for all and auto- enrol all eligible&nbsp;<span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; background-color: var(--ast-global-color-5);\">children; make the Holiday Activities and Food&nbsp;<\/span><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; background-color: var(--ast-global-color-5);\">Programme scheme permanent and extend support to all&nbsp;<\/span><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; background-color: var(--ast-global-color-5);\">low- income families<\/span><\/li><li>Allocate additional funding to secondary and post- 16&nbsp;<span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; background-color: var(--ast-global-color-5);\">providers to address the lag before the new (fairer) National Funding Formula&nbsp;<\/span><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; background-color: var(--ast-global-color-5);\">(NFF) takes effect, and implement the National Audit<\/span><span style=\"background-color: var(--ast-global-color-5);\">Office\u2019s recommendation to evaluate the impact of the&nbsp;<\/span><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; background-color: var(--ast-global-color-5);\">NFF<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; background-color: var(--ast-global-color-5);\">Adjust the NFF to include the child health burden borne by&nbsp;<\/span><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; background-color: var(--ast-global-color-5);\">schools<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; background-color: var(--ast-global-color-5);\">Expand the Health Improvement Fund to support Family&nbsp;<\/span><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; background-color: var(--ast-global-color-5);\">Hubs, health visiting and children\u2019s centres with investment&nbsp;<\/span><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; background-color: var(--ast-global-color-5);\">proportional to need and area- level deprivation<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; background-color: var(--ast-global-color-5);\">Embed Equity Impact Assessments in all policy processes&nbsp;<\/span><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; background-color: var(--ast-global-color-5);\">at national, regional and local levels; use Children\u2019s Rights&nbsp;<\/span><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; background-color: var(--ast-global-color-5);\">Impact Assessments to evaluate the specific impact of policies&nbsp;<\/span><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; background-color: var(--ast-global-color-5);\">on children and young people; and use devolved citizens\u2019&nbsp;<\/span><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; background-color: var(--ast-global-color-5);\">assemblies that include young people to make sure&nbsp;<\/span><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; background-color: var(--ast-global-color-5);\">their voices are included when making policy decisions<\/span><\/li><li>Pass the Wellbeing of Future Generations Bill to bring&nbsp;<span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; background-color: var(--ast-global-color-5);\">England and Northern Ireland into line with the progressive&nbsp;<\/span><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; background-color: var(--ast-global-color-5);\">Future Generations Act and policies in Wales and&nbsp;<\/span><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; background-color: var(--ast-global-color-5);\">Scotland<\/span><\/li><\/ol><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Act Now: Early Years and Childhood &#8220;Act Now: Early Years and Childhood&#8221; by the Common Sense Policy Group is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 (https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-nd\/4.0\/) The common-sense notion that investments in childhood are\u00a0critical to outcomes in adulthood is all too often dismissed on\u00a0grounds of cost, or ignored by politicians focused on short-term\u00a0gains. Whether it be [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":0,"parent":3831,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"no-sidebar","site-content-layout":"page-builder","ast-site-content-layout":"full-width-container","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"disabled","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"disabled","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-4331","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Early Years and Childhood - Common Sense Policy Group<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Early Years and Childhood - Common Sense Policy Group\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Act Now: Early Years and Childhood &#8220;Act Now: Early Years and Childhood&#8221; by the Common Sense Policy Group is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 (https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-nd\/4.0\/) The common-sense notion that investments in childhood are\u00a0critical to outcomes in adulthood is all too often dismissed on\u00a0grounds of cost, or ignored by politicians focused on short-term\u00a0gains. 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