The Foundation Years: Preventing Poor Children Becoming Poor Adults
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The Foundation Years: preventing poor children becoming poor adults The report of the Independent Review on Poverty and Life Chances Frank Field Cabinet Office 22 Whitehall London SW1A 2WH Publication date: December 2010 © Crown copyright 2010 This document/publication can also be viewed on You may re-use this information (not including logos) our website at www.frankfield.co.uk free of charge in any format or medium, under the Any enquiries regarding this document/publication terms of the Open Government Licence. should be sent to us at: To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ [email protected] doc/open-government-licence/ or write to the Information Policy Team, The material used in this publication is constituted The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, from 75% post consumer waste and 25% virgin fibre. or e-mail: [email protected]. Ref: 403244 /1210 December 2010 1 Contents Acknowledgements 3 IntroductionandRecommendations 5 Chapter1 APersonalCommentary 11 Chapter2 PovertyandLifeChances 27 Chapter3 TheInfluencesonChildren’sLifeChances 37 Chapter4 BuildingFoundationYearsServices 53 Chapter5 ANewFrameworkforMeasuringPovertyandLifeChances 71 Chapter6 OverviewoftheConsultationProcessandSummaryofFormalSubmissions 85 AnnexA LifeChancesIndicators–RecommendedMeasures 93 AnnexB OptionsforanewMeasureofServiceQuality 95 AnnexC ConsultationDetails 98 AnnexD FrankField’sPublicStatements 104 2 TheFoundationYears Acknowledgements 3 Acknowledgements AsthebulkoftheReview’sworkhasbeen IwishalsotothanktheteamofSeniorOfficials undertakenbytheReviewteamIwanttoplace fromtheDepartmentforWorkandPensions, onrecordmythankstothem. AnnChinner,as DepartmentforEducation,Departmentof ReviewTeamLead,andStephenBalchin,Lotta Health,HMTreasury,GovernmentEqualities Gustafsson,DanielleMason,TimCrosierand OfficeandDepartmentforCommunitiesand TimWeedon,asPolicyAdvisors,haveworked LocalGovernmentwhoplayedakeypartactingas onthefollowingreport.JonathanPortes,the valuablesoundingboardsforthisReview,andof CabinetOffice’sChiefEconomist,hasoverseen coursealltheacademics,charities,practitioners, theworkoftheReview.Itishardtothinkthat stakeholdersandindividualswhowehavemetand theReviewcouldhavebeenbetterservedfrom whosubmittedtheirevidence. acrossWhitehall.PatrickWhitefrommyHouse ofCommons’Officehaslinkedmyworkinthe HousewiththeworkoftheReviewandplayed akeyroleinshapingmycommentary.JillHendey, mysecretary,hastypedthenotesItookofallour evidencesessionsandtherecordsImadeofthe findingsfromtheresearchreportsIhaveread.I amextremelygratefultothisteamwhohasmade workingontheReviewapleasureaswesetabout ourtaskofreshapingananti-povertystrategythat willbeeffectiveduringthe21stcentury. 4 TheFoundationYears 5 Introduction and Recommendations Introduction determiningwhethertheirpotentialisrealisedin adultlife.Thethingsthatmattermostareahealthy FrankFieldwascommissionedbythePrime pregnancy;goodmaternalmentalhealth;secure MinisterinJune2010toprovideanindependent bondingwiththechild;loveandresponsiveness reviewonpovertyandlifechancesbytheendof ofparentsalongwithclearboundaries,aswellas theyear.Theaimofthereviewisto: opportunitiesforachild’scognitive,languageand •generateabroaderdebateaboutthenatureand socialandemotionaldevelopment.Goodservices extentofpovertyintheUK; mattertoo:healthservices,Children’sCentresand highqualitychildcare. •examinethecaseforreformstopoverty measures,inparticularfortheinclusionofnon- Laterinterventionstohelppoorlyperforming financialelements; childrencanbeeffectivebut,ingeneral,the mosteffectiveandcost-effectivewaytohelpand explorehowachild’shomeenvironment • supportyoungfamiliesisintheearliestyearsofa affectstheirchancesofbeingreadytotakefull child’slife. advantageoftheirschooling;and Bytheageofthree,ababy’sbrainis80%formed recommendpotentialactionbygovernment • andhisorherexperiencesbeforethenshape andotherinstitutionstoreducepovertyand thewaythebrainhasgrownanddeveloped. enhancelifechancesfortheleastadvantaged, Thatisnottosay,ofcourse,itisalloverby consistentwiththeGovernment’sfiscalstrategy. then,butabilityprofilesatthatagearehighly predictiveofprofilesatschoolentry.Byschool Review findings age,thereareverywidevariationsinchildren’s ThequestiontheReviewfounditselfaskingwas abilitiesandtheevidenceisclearthatchildren howwecanpreventpoorchildrenfrombecoming frompoorerbackgroundsdoworsecognitively pooradults.TheReviewhasconcludedthatthe andbehaviourallythanthosefrommoreaffluent UKneedstoaddresstheissueofchildpovertyin homes.Schoolsdonoteffectivelyclosethatgap; afundamentallydifferentwayifitistomakeareal childrenwhoarriveinthebottomrangeofability changetochildren’slifechancesasadults. tendtostaythere. Wehavefoundoverwhelmingevidencethat Thereisarangeofservicestosupportparentsand children’slifechancesaremostheavilypredicated childreninthoseearlyyears.But,GPs,midwives, ontheirdevelopmentinthefirstfiveyearsoflife. healthvisitors,hospitalservices,Children’sCentres Itisfamilybackground,parentaleducation,good andprivateandvoluntarysectornurseries parentingandtheopportunitiesforlearningand togetherprovidefragmentedservicesthatare developmentinthosecrucialyearsthattogether neitherwellunderstoodnoreasilyaccessedbyall mattermoretochildrenthanmoney,in ofthosewhomightbenefitmost. 6 TheFoundationYears Thecurrentpovertymeasurethatismost backgroundswillbeabletogainonmeritinthe commonlyreferredtoisthe60%medianincome incomehierarchy. measure.Thepreviousgovernmentpledgedto halvechildpovertyby2010-11anderadicateitby Overarching recommendations 2020.Itspoliciesandprogrammestoachievethis Therearetwooverarchingrecommendations. ambitioustargetincludedveryheavyinvestment inincometransfersthroughtaxcredits,supportto •Topreventpoorchildrenfrombecomingpoor parentsthroughitsNewDealprogrammetohelp adultstheReviewproposesestablishingaset loneparentsintowork,andearlyyearsservices, ofLifeChancesIndicatorsthatmeasurehow includingtheSureStartProgrammeforunder successfulweareasacountryinmakingmore fivesinthemostdeprivedareas. equallife’soutcomesforallchildren. Therehasbeensignificantimprovementinbuilding Nothingcanbeachievedwithoutworkingwith earlyyearsserviceprovisionoverthelastten parents.Allourrecommendationsareabout years.Highquality,professionallyled,childcare enablingparentstoachievetheaspirationsthat programmestosupportparents,andsome theyhavefortheirchildren. intensiveprogrammesarewellevidencedtoshow TodrivethispolicytheReviewproposes theycanbecosteffective.But,currentservices • establishingthe‘FoundationYears’coveringthe arealsoveryvariableandthereisgenerallyboth periodfromthewombtofive.TheFoundation alackofclearevidenceofwhatworksforpoorer Yearsshouldbecomethefirstpillarofanew childrenandinsufficientattentiontodeveloping tripartiteeducationsystem:theFoundation theevidencebase. Yearsleadingtoschoolyearsleadingtofurther, Progresswasmadetowardsmeetingthefinancial higherandcontinuingeducation. povertytargetsintheearlystagesofthestrategy, butithasbecomeincreasinglyclearthatnotonly Recommendations hasthe2010/11targetnotbeenmetbutitwould requireverylargeamountsofnewmoneytomeet The Foundation Years the2020target.Suchastrategyisnotsustainable inthelongerrun,particularlyaswestrivetoreduce 1. TheReviewrecommendsthatgovernment, thebudgetdeficit.Butevenifmoneywerenot nationalandlocal,shouldgivegreaterprominence aconstraintthereisaclearcasetobemadefor totheearliestyearsinlife,frompregnancyto developinganalternativestrategytoabolishchild agefive,adoptingthetermFoundationYears. poverty.ThisiswhattheReviewsetsouttoaddress. Thisisforseveralreasons:toincreasepublic understandingofhowbabiesandyoungchildren Itisthisstrategywhichofferstheprospectof developandwhatisimportanttoensuretheir preventingpoorchildrenfrombecomingpoor healthyprogressinthiscrucialperiod;tomake adults.Theevidenceabouttheimportanceof clearthepackageofsupportneededbothfor thepreschoolyearstochildren’slifechancesas childrenandparentsinthoseearlyyears;to adultspointsstronglytoanalternativeapproach establishtheFoundationYearsasofequalstatus thatfocusesondirectinggovernmentpolicyand andimportanceinthepublicmindtoprimaryand spendingtodevelopingchildren’scapabilitiesin secondaryschoolyears;andtoensurethatchild theearlyyears.Ashiftoffocusisneededtowards developmentandservicesduringthoseyearsare providinghighquality,integratedservicesaimed aswellunderstood. atsupportingparentsandimprovingtheabilities ofourpoorestchildrenduringtheperiodwhen 2. TheReviewrecommendsthattheGovernment itismosteffectivetodoso.Theirprospects graduallymovesfundingtotheearlyyears,and ofgoingontogainbetterqualificationsand thatthisfundingisweightedtowardthemost sustainableemploymentwillbegreatlyenhanced. disadvantagedchildrenaswebuildtheevidence Theaimistochangethedistributionofincomeby baseofeffectiveprogrammes.TheFairness changingthepositionwhichchildrenfrompoor Premium,introducedinthe2010SpendingReview, shouldbegininpregnancy. IntroductionandRecommendations 7 3. Nolongershouldgovernmentsautomatically tobidforcontracts.Theyshouldensureservices increasebenefitsforchildrenbutineachfinancial withinChildren’sCentresdonotreplicateexisting yearconsiderwhetherthelifechancesofpoorer provisionfromprivate,voluntaryandindependent childrenwillbeincreasedmorebytransferringany groupsbutshouldsignposttothosegroups,or benefitincreasesintobuildingtheFoundationYears. shareCentres’space.Thisshouldencourage mutualsandcommunitygroupstobidandhelp 4. Theincreasedfundingshouldbetargetedat ensurethatefficienciesaremade.Non-working thosefactorsweknowmattermostintheearly parentsshouldspendonenurserysessionwiththeir years:highqualityandconsistentsupportforparents