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Leading membership organisation the Early Years Alliance has issued a comment in response to IFS research on inequalities in early child development. 

The research found that early cognitive, social and emotional development of children in the UK have changed little between those born in the early 2000s and those born in the early 2010s. It also found that early years shape later life outcomes to a "remarkable degree". 

The research can be read . 

Commenting, Neil Leitch, CEO of the Early Years Alliance, said:

“It is extremely concerning that inequalities in early childhood development remained high over the past decade, especially given that the pandemic is very likely to have widened this gap even further in the time since. 

“We know from our own research that Covid-19 has had a significant impact on the learning and development of young children, many of whom have spent the majority of their lives under some form of pandemic restrictions. Early educators have worked incredibly hard to mitigate the impact of this on children’s learning, but they themselves need support to be able to continue to do so. 

"The IFS report rightly states that a child’s experiences in the early years shapes their later life outcomes ‘to a remarkable degree’. Given this, if the government is truly committed to its 'levelling up’ agenda, then surely there is no better place to start than in the early years. 

“Early educators play a pivotal role in ensuring that all children, regardless of background, get the best possible start in life. Ministers simply must recognise this, and invest in our vital sector accordingly, if we are to have any chance of closing the inequality gap once and for all.”