A Unique Child: Inequality: Part 3 - Of house and home

The negative attainment gap between children who are materially disadvantaged and those who are not is well established. Although this is only one of a range of indicators of children’s overall well-being, it is an important one, because studies show that this early disadvantage often impacts life chances and qualifications when children are older. The causes of disadvantage are multiple, but inadequate housing and homelessness can be a major factor.

The findings of the Effective Provision of Pre-School Education (EPPE) research stressed that although the socio-economic status of parents was important, the quality of the home learning environment (HLE) was fundamental. Poor housing conditions have been linked to a number of negative outcomes for children including language delay, behavioural difficulties and mental and physical health issues. If families are displaced from their communities or do not have a stable, adequate and safe home setting, however well they try to parent, well-being and positive outcomes for their children will be infinitely more difficult to achieve (Harker 2006, Dickins 2014).