Kate Middleton hosts special event focused on cause close to her heart

Kate Middleton attended on Thursday an important event, hosting a roundtable discussion on early childhood development, a cause close to her heart.

The discussion was moderated by Kate and centered on research from The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, which found that while nine out of ten people agree that the early years are important in shaping children’s lives, only about a fifth recognize the importance of children’s development from birth to the age of five.

Seven out of ten people believe that early childhood development should be a higher priority for society, and more than half believe that one’s future mental health is the most likely aspect of adult life to be influenced by one’s early years.

Kate, who looked stunning in a pink suit, welcomed Health Secretary Sajid Javid, Families Minister Will Quince, early years sector representatives, and officials from the Departments of Education and Health and Social Care to the event.

“We know that only a small percentage of people recognize the critical importance of a child’s first five years of life, and this is what we really need to change,” Kate said at the roundtable.

“We can help children avoid turning to addiction, self-harm, or suicide later in life if we can teach them to manage their emotions and feelings at a young age.”

“We have a tremendous opportunity here to help shape the future as a group.”

“Our early childhood experiences fundamentally impact our entire life and lay the foundation for how we go on to thrive as individuals, with one another, as a community, and as a society,” the Duchess said after the report was released.

“Today’s findings provide us with a tremendous opportunity, demonstrating that there is a genuine desire on the part of the public to raise this issue on all of our agendas.”

“There’s more we can all do – every member of society can play a key role, whether it’s directly with a child or by investing in the adults around them – parents, carers, early childhood workers, and so on.”

Kate is passionate about children’s mental health and the early years, and in June 2021, she established The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, with the goal of raising awareness of the importance of early childhood experiences in shaping society in the long run.

Her curiosity led her to Denmark, where she learned more about the country’s early childhood development efforts.