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@WATCUK
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
Over 80 delegates attended What About The Children?'s national conference 'What Price Infant Mental Health? held at the ROSL on 20th March. Dame Sarah Storey Great Britain's most successful female Paralympian with 14 Gold, 8 Silver and 3 Bronze medals across 7 Paralympic Games addressed delegates about 'Being Mum'. She explained that having decided to start a family her husband and she knew that whilst continuing with her sporting endeavours they would put their children's needs first. With the support of her parents and husband, Sarah described, including some amusing anecdotes, some of the joys and challenges they have had with their two young children joining them on their adventures in international sport. She said "we are so aware that our children are only children for a fraction of their life and as parents we are privileged to guide them to being the happiest they can be whilst learning how to navigate the world"
Summaries of all conference speakers are now available for download from the 2019 Conference Page: Dame Sarah Storey, Mary Gordon- Goodman Lecture, Dr Cheryll Adams, Dr Aric Sigman, Dr. Pam Jarvis
Dame Sarah Storey speaking about 'Being A Mum' at What About The Children?'s 2019 national conference
Infant Mental Health on a Page - What About The Children? has been meeting with other members of the All Parliamentary Group, 'From Conception to Age 2' to develop a shared narrative about infant mental health. To find out more and down load the infographic which sets out the core story of why relationships between parents and their babies in the first 1001 days are so crucially important. go to The Case For Action on https://1001criticaldays.co.uk.
What About The Children? Annual Report
For a copy of What About The Children?'s Annual Report and Financial Statement for year January to December 2018 please email your request to enquiries@whataboutthechildren.org.uk and include your email address so a
copy can be be emailed to you.
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.