We've all come to realise that a sure start, to coin a phrase, creates the foundation for children to grow into successful and rounded individuals.
The vast majority of children who come through the nursery door each morning are fortunate enough to have come from a home that is both safe and secure.
However, during an investigation conducted by Shelter in 2005, a panel of experts discovered the existence of 'buggy babies' - babies who are trapped in their prams for hours on end because of bad housing and who, in some cases, develop deformed skulls as a result.
While an effect such as this is rare, many devastating consequences occur for children trapped in bad housing. This is a problem that has largely been ignored as the nation continues to be distracted by the current housing market boom.
The reality is that even in 21st century Britain, one in 12 children is more likely to develop diseases such as bronchitis, TB or asthma simply because of the housing conditions they grow up in. Homeless children living in temporary accommodation also miss a quarter of their schooling and they are often forced to move school, losing out on valuable class time and leaving friends and stable influences.
More than one million children in Britain are suffering like this in damp, overcrowded or dangerous homes. Many children don't even have a home to call their own.
There is, however, a solution to this crisis. Shelter is calling for an extra 20,000 social rented homes to be built in England a year. We estimate this could lift 150,000 of our poorest children out of bad housing.
But we can't do it without your help. By joining the Million Children campaign and calling on the Government to end bad housing you can make a difference. Visit www.england.shelter.org.uk to help put an end to this crisis for the next generation of children.
