There has been a call for a holistic preventative approach to ensure babies are given the care they need in the first two years of their lives and it is at the heart of a manifesto launched by a cross-party group of MPs. This includes an MP from the Conservatives, the LIberal Democrats, Labour and the Green Party.
The manifesto says at-risk families should be able to access evidence-based services that promote parent-infant interaction.
To do this it recommends that more early intervention services for babies should be evaluated to prove their effectiveness, including a scientific evaluation of parent-infant psychotherapy.
The manifesto includes the call for childminders and early years settings caring for under-twos to focus on the attachment needs of babies and infants,
A joint study by the Department for Education and the WAVE trust says that the first two years of life are a crucial period of human development and require more focused attention.
The report identifies the economic benefits of supporting parents and their infants and helping them to build strong relationships. Apparently this could save large amounts of money which are now being spent trying to deal with problems further up the line with adolescents who haven't benefitted from this vital early intervention.
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