Foundation for the Future: An International Conference on Early Childhood and Family Policy
June 2026
This report sets out the findings of an international conference examining what children need for healthy development in the early years and how public policy can be better aligned with that evidence. It draws on contributions from academics, researchers, practitioners, and policymakers, and considers the implications for Britain from trends across comparable countries.
There is a need to shape early years and family policy to give greater weight to infant development and to parents’ role as primary caregivers. The conference was an opportunity to hear about developments in other countries and to learn more about alternatives to ever-increasing institutional childcare. Altering this trajectory will require not only policy solutions but also major cultural shifts in society.
The report concludes that the developmental needs of children must take precedence over short-term economic objectives, and that public investment in the early years is most efficiently directed toward supporting parents rather than expanding institutional childcare. It recommends targeted reforms to the tax and benefits system, the introduction of home visitation schemes to improve outcomes for disadvantaged children, and a reassessment of unpaid caregiving as a contribution to national economic life.
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