People often ask why I care so passionately / about the early years. // Many mistakenly believe / that my interest stems from having children of my own. // And while of course, / I care hugely / about their start in life, / this ultimately sells the issue short. // Parenthood isn’t / a prerequisite for understanding the importance / of the early years. // If we only expect people to take an interest in the early years when they have children, / we are not only too late for them, / we are underestimating the huge role / others can play in shaping / our most formative years too. // Over the last decade / I, / like many of you, / 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 critical role / in shaping our futures too. // And I care / hugely / about this. // Because the science shows / that the early years / are more pivotal for future health and happiness / than any other period in our lifetime. // Because as many as 40% / of our children / will arrive at school / with below the expected levels of development / and because / the social cost of late intervention / has been estimated to be over 17 billion pounds a year. // The early years are therefore, / not simply / just 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. // Which is why / I wanted to start a society-wide conversation / to hear what people across the UK think about the early years, too. // I was humbled that over half a million people / responded to the Five Big Question survey, / showing just how much / people want to talk about this. // We combined these findings / with national research / and a Covid Lockdown survey / and together / this represents the UK’s biggest ever study / on the early years. These collective insights are critical / and the questions they pose / will help guide our work / in the years to come. // Firstly, / if parents are struggling to prioritize their own wellbeing, / how can we better support them? // Secondly, / what is at the root / of why parents feel so judged? // Thirdly, / how can we address parental loneliness, / which has dramatically / increased during the pandemic, / particularly / in the most deprived areas. // And finally, / if less than a quarter of us / understand the unique importance of a child’s first five years, / what can we do to make this better known? / We must do all we can / to tackle these issues / and to elevate the importance of the early years, / so that together / we can build / a more nurturing society. // Because I believe, / the early years should be on par / with the other great social challenges / and opportunities of our time. // And next year, / we will announce ambitious plans / to support this objective. // My final message / is a thank you. // Thank you to all the families / and parents / and carers / for the important work you do / every single day in raising our children. // And thank you to those of you working to support these families / and their children too. //