Early Years a ‘powerful determinant of the rest of life’ say UUP at Policy Launch
Speaking at the launch of the UUPs ‘Early years: Policies for children in early years and their families’ document, newly appointed UUP Family and Children’s spokesperson Dr Esmond Birnie said:
A great Prime Minister, Disraeli, once said, ‘The youth of a country are the guardians of its future’.
The UUP decided to bring together its thinking on policies for early years. These years are indeed full of promise for the future. It is less a question of what these policies cost as what it will cost in the long run if we do not invest in children and infants.
This is one of our key points - what happens in the earliest years is a very powerful determinant of the rest of life.
Another key theme - parity with the rest of the UK. It is a very significant point. Even with Monday’s announcement of £61 Million, our spending is likely to fall behind the rest of the UK.
In forming our policies we have been powerfully assisted by the many charities and NGOs in this sector.
We are being realists. We are starting from where we are 2006, not 1956 or 1906. There are, we recognise, a diversity of family structures in Northern Ireland and all those raising children need help. That said, a stable, harmonious family with 2 parents on average - according to all the international studies - provides the context for the best life chances for the children.
We also recognise that parents have a diversity of childminding needs. Public policy should reflect this.”