The Royal Foundation

The Duchess of Cambridge has for some time focussed her attention on raising awareness of the importance of the first few years of life. The Royal Foundation: Centre for Early Childhood is an excellent resource for research on the Early Years and the Duchess' aim is to create positive change.

This past week, the Duchess visited Denmark — reported to have the world’s happiest children — looking to learn from their approach to early childhood.

‘Denmark is a beacon of best practice in its approach to the early years which values the roles of parents and results in both communities of support and government policies that underpin the best start in life’.

In one aspect of parenting the Danish are less free than us. Whilst here in the UK it is now very difficult economically to make the choice to stay home to raise our own children, in Denmark it is almost impossible and socially frowned on. By the age of 10 months 90% Danish children are in external childcare.

MAHM wrote a letter to the Duchess together with our sister organisations in Sweden (Haro) and Denmark (HJEM) and a Danish professor for Early Childhood (Ole Henrik Hansen) to raise the situation, as we understand it, of the challenges faced by mothers wishing to be home.

We will be meeting with Haro, HJEM and Ole shortly to understand more fully the situation for parents in Denmark as they see it.

Click here to read our joint letter