Kate to warn of impact on children of parents’ lockdown loneliness

Parental loneliness has increased dramatically during the coronavirus pandemic, according to research, with families living in the most deprived communities suffering most.

More than half a million people took part in the Royal Foundation’s five big questions on the under-fives poll, which was carried out by Ipsos Mori and produced the largest-ever response from the public to a survey of its kind.

The poll will be at the heart of a keynote speech by the Duchess of Cambridge, which is being hailed as a passionate and personal address, at an online Royal Foundation forum on Friday.

Kate is expected to say: “Over the last decade I have met people from all walks of life. I have seen that experiences such as homelessness, addiction and poor mental health are often grounded in a difficult childhood.

“But I have also seen how positive protective factors in the early years can play a crucial role in shaping our futures. The early years are not simply about how we raise our children. They are in fact about how we raise the next generation of adults. They are about the society we will become.”

The research has been hailed as a milestone for the duchess. It will, say Kensington Palace, shape her future focus on early years development, with plans next year for Kate to help elevate the importance of early childhood.

The study showed the Covid-19 pandemic had dramatically increased parental loneliness, with 38% experiencing this before the crisis, and 63% – almost two-thirds – after the first lockdown, a jump of 25%.

It also highlighted how experiences during lockdown differed for the most deprived communities. Loneliness for parents was more common in deprived locations, with 13% feeling lonely often or always – nearly three times more than the 5% in the least deprived areas.

Kate will use her speech to say she is determined to raise awareness of how the first five years of childhood impact the next 50 years of their life.

She will cite scientific consensus from the report, showing this period is considered the most pivotal age for development, future health and happiness.

But, the report found, although 98% believe nurture is essential to lifelong outcomes, just 24% think pregnancy to age five is the most pivotal period for health and happiness in adulthood.

Neil Leitch, the chief executive of charity Early Years Alliance, described it as “concerning, though unfortunately not surprising” that so few people were aware that pregnancy to age five was such an important time.

“All too often, education and learning is seen as something that begins at the school gates,” he said.

“At a time when many parents of young children have been cut off from their normal sources of help and can only seek limited support from family and friends, it is vital that the government recognises the value of the early years and ensures that the vital services that provide such important support to parents and families across the country are able to continue to do so.”

The report concluded that society as a whole needed to be more supportive of parents and families in the early years, with more done to promote its importance, and better support networks to improve parental mental health.