Healthy First Steps

Infants who face difficult circumstances when aged just under two years old will face an up-hill struggle later in their lives including poor health, educational and behavioural challenges.

The Mayor has committed to giving Londoners the best, healthiest start to life via the Healthy Early Years London (HEYL) programme - an awards scheme for childcare settings, such as nurseries, crèches and childminders.

However, it only kicks in when children are two years old so it misses the most crucial years of child development.

Following an investigation into children’s first years and health, the London Assembly Health Committee publishes its recommendations today. The recommendations include:

• The Mayor should sign London up to the 70/30 campaign that aims to bring about a 70% reduction in child maltreatment by the year 2030
• An annual monitoring report for the Mayor’s new Healthy Early Years programme should be published including a breakdown of how each London borough is doing
• The Mayor should set up a Healthy Early Years champion network to provide support to early years professionals

The report and the Mayor's response are attached below.