Well-being in early childhood: how are the lives of families with young children changing?

The webinar marked the publication of the first review from our Changing face of early childhood series, led by Carey Oppenheim. Drawing on research funded by the Foundation, the review addresses the key questions about the changing nature of family life and what that means for the experience of young children in the UK today. The context in which parents are raising young children is shifting as changing family dynamics interact with a changing economy, creating new stresses and divisions as well as opportunities.

Following a presentation of the evidence, the panel and audience considered questions such as:

• Does family structure matter for young children’s well-being and outcomes?
• What are the implications of the changing patterns of work and care for parents and for young children’s well-being, experiences and life-chances?
• Is inequality the most significant factor in determining early childhood experience?

To find out more about our work in early childhood, please read our introduction to the Changing face of early childhood series.

Our Changing face of early childhood series seeks to generate an informed debate on early childhood based on what the collective evidence tells us. It draws on an extensive body of work funded by the Nuffield Foundation and undertaken by a range of researchers from different disciplines, alongside other key studies. Over the course of 2020/2021 we will publish robust and accessible reviews of research and provide a forum for further engagement through our events programme and additional commentary on our website.

We value input and feedback on the series as it progresses and the responses we receive will inform the concluding review. Ultimately, we want this series to contribute to significant and lasting change for young children and their families. We are interested to hear your feedback on the questions raised in our series.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to get in touch with Molly Imrie, Events & Communications Officer (mimrie@nuffieldfoundation.org)