Early years commission: A cross-party manifesto

A new report from the Early Years Commission, jointly run by the Centre for Social Justice and the Fabian Society, puts forward a number of recommendations to transform the lives of our youngest children, including a significant shake up in parental leave rights and major support for the youngest children and their parents as part of the government’s ‘levelling up’ response post-Covid-19.

The Early Years Commission was co-chaired by Labour’s Sharon Hodgson MP and former Conservative minister for children and families, Edward Timpson CBE MP, and set up to explore how to improve services for children from conception to age five.

The manifesto also recommends:

• Government works with local authorities to develop dedicated, locally-led parent support services in every community.
• Building a holistic, cross-departmental strategy on the early years, led by a cabinet minister.
• Rolling out children’s centres and family hubs across the country, prioritising disadvantaged areas
• Supporting the professional development of early years practitioners.
• Increasing compulsory interactions between children and health visitors.
• Building more support for the professional development of those who work in early years.