I am one of six children. This photo (below) is the only one I have of my siblings, though my youngest brother hadn't yet been born. Looking at the photo, it's easy to imagine I grew up as part of a warm and loving family – but the truth couldn't be more different.
My earliest memories are of the abuse my mother suffered at the hands of my father. From a very young age, when the violence would occur, I would climb out of a first-floor window, scale the drainpipe, run down the road to the local telephone box, dial 999 and then run home, fearful of what violence my father had inflicted on my mother.
While she managed to escape to London with me and my siblings when I was four years old, my father soon followed. The risk he posed to our safety meant we were all eventually put into care.
Because I was so distressed in care, I was the first of my siblings to be reunited with my mum, despite concerns from social services. And that's the reason why, rather than being defined by my father's actions, my life has been shaped by my relationship with my mother: the attachment, security and love she gave me; the sense of belonging she gave me.
It is no coincidence three of my older siblings – who were all in care homes much longer than me and exposed to considerably more of my father's actions – all died in later life of drug- and alcohol-related illnesses. They became a product of their environment, just as I became a product of mine.
While I didn't attend nursery, no-one has to convince me of the importance of a child's earliest years; how crucial they are in shaping the person a child is to become, the relationships they are able to nurture and build, and the happiness and sense of security they are able to enjoy throughout their life.
When we at the Alliance say we believe every child, without exception, deserves the best possible start in life, this isn't empty rhetoric. It's a belief at the core of everything we do – and I make no apologies for saying my own childhood experiences shape what I see as the Alliance's role in making this a reality.
There's no doubt these are incredibly challenging times. But amid all the stress, worry and frustration, I hold onto the fact that no other sector has the impact we do on children and families. For so many, settings are a lifeline: not only a source of vital support for families but also of quality care and education we know can alter the trajectory of a child's life.
I couldn't be more proud to be part of a sector that transforms lives, day in and day out.
