Kate launches new campaign about importance of early childhood?

[AllOutofEverything]

I have been reading about how Kate is launching a new awareness raising campaign about the importance of early childhood.
I had thought she launched this years ago and since then we have had the survey with the 5 big questions, her visits to nurseries, and her meetings with Early Years experts. I can't see how this is any different from what was announced in the past?

@mysticbob do you expect something to change immediately?

There is a nasty smear campaign against Kate online curtsy to #teamsussex.

Sad.

The people slating her over this are the same ones who'd be praising MM if she was doing it. Predictable.

rubbish. I would slate anyone who has half a working brain cell for not saying the words Sure and Start every time i was talking about early years.
Which i am doing all over twitter, to preditcable whiny answers from the Kate Fan Club.

The words Sure And Start should be front and centre in every comment about this. Every single bloody one. And yay for her, for listening to experts. I really don't know why an adult woman can't work out for herself that what is happening to children in the UK (the non-privileged ones) is a) down to the government and b) not rocket science.

So again: Sure. Start.

Did no one see the ridiculous photo op of her awkwardly holding cans while talking to the staff so that the cameras could capture here.

It's all PR so we keep funding the royals and think they are doing something worthwhile.

We are all well aware of child poverty without her telling us about it...

You can't just sidestep a chasm and carry on as though nothing happened - it's dismissive and patronising . There needs to be a demonstration of active support for the causes they back. For example, they went all out to launch an anti bullying campaign but did nothing to support the bullying in their own family . Means now lots of people will just scroll on past anything they do which is a shame - but I'm one of them . It can't all be shiny speeches and dresses - it needs to have more substance and depth. Don't be afraid to show us the human side we don't need warm mulch to be spoon fed every second day by the Daily Mail ..

It's being reported as front page news.

Was front page of the paper this morning...

I don't think there would be a headline about another episode of eastenders...

Palace PR.

There're a bit daft if they think this will save the monarchy

@Brefugee , Sure Start was fantastic, I was part of it, volunteered for a few years at our local centre. I don't think Kate is allowed to mention SS as it is political. Hopefully her work will raise awareness though.

I'd be delighted if anything substantial was achieved, but I don't think it has been.

Oh and I'm not a team Sussex person either. If anything I'm slightly more of a royalist than not. It's just that when you look at real things like the Prince's Trust or DofE awards you see something meaningful. This just feels like a lot of vague waffle.

For those saying that MM would not be criticised .. can they consider who created this narrative of female adversaries. Kate had the power and did nothing - it wouldn't have been like this if they had spoken up and reached out to MM and H .. Kate was and is in a position of immense privilege but her silence has isolated her from a global audience who find the humanity of Meghan ( flawed and otherwise) so much easier to identify with and respect - as a royalist it gives me no joy but the damage seems seismic ..

There was help, people used it. It was incredibly effective. Look here: ifs.org.uk/publications/health-effects-sure-start

It was cut and those benefits are lost.

Perhaps she could donate some of her immense wealth to feed hungry children so they can have an early childhood

I wonder how the experts (who have been shouting about this and crying for funding for years) think about having to brief someone who really ought just to be cutting ribbons on stuff.

The experts know what they need. We don't need a figurehead to tell us this. We don't need a relaunch now experts have briefed her. Bloody Norah. All she has to do is pop up now and again and open, by cutting a ribbon, one of the Sure Start centres that the government closed. Surely.

As for the princes trust. I have very little time for charles and the rest of them. But that and the DofE scheme have been two things that have done some very very good work to very little relative fanfare over the years.

So this "raising awareness" of the importance of good early years investment. Well, This is not new news. the PoW has launched her campaign twice now (one with added expert input). What are we seeing? In boots on the ground terms? Is there, in fact, any investment since KM started putting her name to it? Because that will be the measure of success. Not pictures of her with lovely shiny hair smiling down at kids with rickets.

But not all parents who should have accessed Sure Start and other organisations did. Parenting classes were run in my area. They were open to everyone but were obviously targeted to certain parents, but they didn't usually attend, and parents who were already aware of the importance of early years and didn't really need support attended. And it wasn't because they took up the places. I went to one and there was only one other parent there.

There need to be more organisations and help, which obviously needs more funding.

@carmenitapink you're right about the awful food bank trip on the weekend, William and Kate turned up with an entourage of staff including 9, yes 9 photographers but not so much as a in of beans.

Kate was in super high heels and flicking her hair as she posed with the boxes for the poor people.

It was to curlingly bad, there's been a huge backlash about it in the locality and online.

I get the impression that she likes the photo ops, but doesn't put in any real effort. William is a bit better at least he carried a few boxes.

But DofE and Prince's Trust probably took time to get going

I don't think Kate is allowed to mention SS as it is political.

how would anyone stop her if she said "i remember people talkin about how good Sure Start was" what are they going to do? seriously? depose the monarchy (well, I'd like that)

Her father in law has mixed himself into politics for all his adult life, as did his mother. She could at least stop being bland and get the words in? "we must concentrate on giving our children a sure start in life..." God it could be a drinking game, i'd even sign up for that.

Because if her awareness raising campaign doesn't translate, very soon, into cold hard cash, it's a(nother) pointless vanity project.

This bugs me so much because I work in this field.

You would have to be very sheltered and intellectually lacking to not know / understand / have heard how important the early years are. This has been well understood by successive British governments- especially Labour investing heavily in preschool education Surestart centres, remember those?

Of course funding and research are welcome but so much has already been happening and is already being done. By far the biggest issue in the UK in the early years is social inequality. What new insights is this campaign going to produce?

Literally thousands of people involved in this field have relevant degrees, PHDs, years of work experience, scientific studies published... but we are told Kate has been studying this in depth... I can see how some people might see this campaign as patronising, jumping on an easy, crowd-pleasing band wagon.

I do not doubt KM is intelligent, educated, cares about her children and can appreciate that others are less privileged... but I fail to see how she can make a difference.

This does seem just pr for Kate. I'm happy to be proved wrong if there is ever anything substantial as a result of her 'research'. So far - nothing.

Bearing in mind the way the Tories decided to shut all the excellent Sure Start Centres which were absolutely fulfilling the early years agenda, it will be interesting to see if any practical help for parents ever materialises.

I'm very cynical about this woman and her work ethic.

In the report from 2021 the centre pretty much names Sure Start without naming it
Creating communities of support.
Caregivers do not exist in a vacuum; we need family-friendly communities that create non-judgemental environments, encourage help-seeking and ensure that early childhood is prioritised locally. Workplaces can also play a role, shaping a culture that supports the early years

The report also flags up need to investigate early years workforce which is covered by the Select Committee which has the advantage of Govt being required to respond to it. Interestingly, the ToR for the Select Committee states they'll be asking witnesses their views on Family Hubs which is this govt's 'take' on Sure Start (am sure there will be vibrant discussion as to if it as effective). In the Centre's report, the section on community support references their research showing that people were put off attending community based support if it was targeted (or perceived as being targeted) at 'poor people' so perhaps the Committee will explore this further. I know in my working world we are very conscious of not (or trying not) to stigmatise support services through poor presentation/branding (for want of a better word)

Ss centres were fab and they did amazing work for kids and helped them so much, my niece and nephew gained a lot from them. Unfortunately by the time I had my child they were closed down and everything I accessed had to be paid for, we were very fortunate to be able to fund this, but there are many children who can not access these services as they don’t have the financial means. Honestly I don’t understand how people don’t find this patronising, this very privileged women will never understand what many have to go through on a daily basis, she goes back to a life of privilege and her children won’t have any issues in terms of accessing anything that they need etc. Children’s services in the UK are on the bare bones of its backside, I can 100% see why this is patronising, but If she can’t do anything politically how can she really make change?

I wonder how much her Royal Foundation is spending on the campaign rather than funding actual services/ projects which could be beacons of excellence (or some other way to prompt nationwide Govt cash).

I understand from someone whose charity they visited, that they make their own personal financial donations, but the charities are restricted from publicising it. Not sure if they made a donation to the food bank in this instance, but I suspect they would have done.

Have you said this on any of the countless Meghan threads that are "bullying a woman in the public eye"? (Far more viciously too, I may add?)