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
What About The Children? National Conference September 2020
This year What About The Children?'s 2020 conference is an online series of four webinars
To book please click the link to Eventbrite https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/what-about-the-children-national-conference-2020-tickets-111737052532
Cost is £20 for the series of 4 webinars
Conference title: What about the children? – a critical question in a time of change.
Speakers: Dr Anna Machin, Dr Sebastian Kraemer, Mandy Cuttler, Prof. Sonia Jackson
For more information about the speakers and their presentations please go to the 2020 Conference Page.
What About The Children? is looking for new trustees
What About The Children? is a small registered charity with national influence and profile. It is looking to recruit new people who share its commitment to preventing emotional harm to children too young to speak for themselves. Click the link to read more or leave a Voicemail on 0845 602 7145 to arrange an informal discussion. Click here for the application form.
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.
Read more click to the pdf Job Spec
Press Release
What About The Children? is calling for a fundamental reassessment of 'early years' policy to ensure that it is informed by the science of infant brain development and the latest epigenetic studies, and provides all children with the best start in life, supporting the development of secure infant/parent attachment and reducing the potential of emotional harm.
Childcare policy: a potential for harm
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.