A year on from the publication of its landmark Case for Change report, which set out why businesses should invest in early childhood, the Princess of Wales’s taskforce has set out the impact of its work to support families and create a ‘happier, healthier society’.
To support the workforce to deliver quality early education and childcare, the Co-operative Group (Co-op) has created an early childhood fund through its apprentice levy share service, Co-op Levy Share. With Taskforce funding, it has supported more than 130 early years apprentices, as part of its commitment to raise £5 million over the next five years to create more than 600 apprenticeships.
Deliotte, which provides industry-leading audit, consulting, tax and advisory services, has funded more than 1300 early years teachers to undertake Teach First leadership qualifications. To support parents, the organisation has also changed its parental policies to give all parents 26 weeks full pay.
Investing in social and emotional development in early childhood, along with support for working parents could yield the UK economy £45.5bn annually, according to the taskforce’s first report launched last May.
The impact of the Taskforce’s work – listed below - has been ‘varied and vast’. Combined, it has the potential reach of ‘more than half a million babies and young children’, according to the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood.
Some examples of the impact of the taskforce’s work include:
- The LEGO Group has donated LEGO® Education Build Me ‘Emotions’ sets to early years providers across the UK, designed to help children to explore their emotions in a playful way. It is also working with a coalition of partners to deliver a project in Tower Hamlets, London, to harness the power of play in promoting children’s wellbeing that it aims to be an ‘exemplar of best practice’.
- IKEA has partnered with local baby banks to ensure families have the essentials they need and has launched a new product range raising money for the Baby Bank Alliance.
- NatWest has increased its lending capacity for early years settings to £100million and has pledged to extend it to £250m. It has also produced tools to support nurseries to operate in a more sustainable way.
- Iceland has rolled out 'emoji posters' across UK stores and helped 30,000 staff better support young families. It has also launched a range of healthy toddler meals with Mumsnet, raising money for Alder Hey Hospital.
Aviva will shortly be making publicly available a series of short films, which they have created for their 26,000 employees, aimed at helping both managers and new parents to feel more confident and supported in the workplace.
The taskforce comprises chief executives from eight businesses: the Co-operative Group, NatWest, Unilever, Ikea, Iceland Foods, Aviva, Deloitte and Lego.
Sir Ron Kalifa, chair of the Taskforce, said, ‘Businesses of every shape and size – from high-street shops to global enterprises – hold unique and powerful touchpoints: as employers, as providers of goods and services, and as pillars of the communities they proudly serve. These roles aren’t just business functions – they’re incredible platforms for meaningful action.
‘The road ahead is bursting with potential. By continuing to work hand-in-hand, we have the chance to reimagine the role of business in society - not just as engines of economic activity, but as champions of childhood, wellbeing, and long-term societal health.’
As of today (19 May), businesses will be able to build their own action plans and get more information about how they can have maximum impact via the Centre for Early Childhood’s website here.
