Research confirms that a child's experience in the first three years of life shape its future - out of all proportion to the rest of childhood. A secure primary attachment relationship is the main protective factor due to the impact it has on the developing brain. When a child's first 3 years are right, it brings huge benefits not just for the child but for the whole of society.
The research and our campaigns
Scientific research is convincing in its message that the first three years of life shape a child's physical, emotional and mental development – for good or bad – out of proportion to the rest of childhood. What About The Children? is a voice for children too young to speak out about their emotional needs themselves.
Advocacy
What About The Children? speaks out for the emotional needs of children under three who are too young to speak for themselves. We publish a monthly Blog and you can followed us on Twitter@WATCthechildren
Advice
Young children, who are nurtured, talked to and played with attentively by a constant, sensitive and responsive carer – most often, but not always, the mother – with other caring adults as secondary attachment figures, will almost invariably thrive.
Campaigns
We campaign to ensure children receive consistent, responsive loving care in their earliest years critical for optimum brain development and long term physical and mental health.
Conferences
What About the Children? brings together academics and practitioners at its annual conference & bi ennnial Goodman lectures on a broad range of aspects of early child development. Past conference papers can be downloaded here.
Research
What About the Children? searches out current scientific research in neuroscience, psychology, biology and the medical sciences, selecting research that provide new insights into early life experiences. We summarise these academic papers for the wider professional community and others interested in children's well being.
Our Research Summaries are grouped by the year the research was published.
Latest News
How a better understanding of the never-changing emotional needs of children can make our ever-changing society better?
The period of ' Lock down' and Covid-19 pandemic has brought about an intense period of change to our society; it has brought into sharp focus the longstanding inequalities that affect the lives of children and families, their physical and mental health. The root causes of these inequalities are deeply embedded, they begin early, from conception and across generations. There is no better time to call for change with real long term investment in the emotional needs of babies. their families and communities. Click the links to find out more.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHX4dYyRFas
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVuJ5KhpL34
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yADuQISWPw
What About The Children? 2020 National Conference
This will now be an online event in September 2020. More information will be available very soon..
Social Media Marketer
What About The Children? needs a Social Media Marketer to develop a compelling social media strategy and help us inform the wider public about the fascinating science of infant brain development and the importance of secure infant/ parent attachment for long term physical and mental health.
Get involved
What About The Children? relies entirely on its supporters for funding and on the hard work of its committed volunteers.
Help us get the important message about emotional needs and early brain development out to even more people.
Who we are
What About The Children?, a small national charity, brings together people from a range of backgrounds and expertise who have come together to campaign on behalf of the emotional needs of children too young to speak for themselves. The charity is independent with no political or religious affiliations.