Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales visited Home-Start Oxford today to meet families, staff and volunteers, and to hear more about Home-Start’s work supporting parents and young children through the power of early relationships and connection.

The Princess’ visit comes as Home-Start UK prepares to roll out new training incorporating The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood (CFEC) Explainer Series to their 9,000-strong network of volunteers across the UK. Home-Start is an early adopter of the seven beautifully animated short films, released by the CFEC in August, which highlight how everyday moments of connection between parents and their young children can have a long-term positive impact on a child’s life.

 

During the visit, The Princess joined Home-Start Oxford staff and volunteers for an interactive training session using the animations to bring the science behind early social and emotional development to life and heard how Home-Start UK will support 175 local Home-Start charities to embed the new resources within trusted family support services across the UK.

The films are designed as a practical tool for those supporting families during early childhood and explore themes such as how early experiences influence the developing brain, how young children learn to notice and manage their feelings, and how loving, responsive relationships provide the foundations for future health, learning and wellbeing.

Home-Start UK is one of more than 27 organisations using the Explainer Series to increase understanding of the everyday actions adults can take to promote social and emotional development in early childhood. Together, these organisations will reach around 400,000 practitioners and families across the UK, ensuring that key messages about early development are understood and shared in consistent, accessible ways.

Following the training session, The Princess joined a Home-Start ‘Stay and Play’ group where families connect with one another and access high-quality support from skilled volunteers and staff. The relaxed session offers opportunities for parents and children to play, share experiences, and build peer support. The Princess spent time listening to families’ experiences and hearing how Home-Start’s group sessions and home visiting support has helped them to manage through challenging times and empowered them to provide nurturing care for their babies and young children.

Home-Start Oxford CEO, Katharine Barber, who collaborated on the creation of the animations earlier this year, was delighted to welcome the Princess today.  Katharine said:

“It was such a pleasure to welcome The Princess of Wales and share the work we’re doing to support local families. Her genuine passion for children’s earliest years shone through in the thoughtful conversations she had with both our families and volunteers. The work of the Centre for Early Childhood resonates deeply with our ethos at Home-Start Oxford. Our home-visiting and group support is all about creating space for families to build those vital early relationships, something that can be incredibly difficult when you are facing additional pressures like financial strain, isolation, or poor mental health. That’s why our holistic approach to support matters so much, and why these animations will be such a powerful tool empowering our volunteers, and in turn, empowering the families they support. We’re proud to be part of a project that celebrates the everyday moments that shape a child’s future.”

I never imagined I’d be speaking with the Princess - it was just an amazing experience.  It’s easy to forget that she’s a mum just like us.  I was able to share with her my experiences of being a parent and it was nice to talk about how Home-Start has really re-lit a spark in me.  Home-Start has encouraged me every step of the way.  They’ve worked with me to overcome so much and it’s meant the world to us.

 - Mum Jasmine who spoke to the Princess.

Sarah McMullen, Director of Network Impact at Home-Start UK said "We are incredibly proud of Home-Start Oxford’s involvement in the development of these beautiful animations from The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, and so pleased that Her Royal Highness could see first-hand how they will be embedded locally to empower families to create positive every day moments with their babies and young children. Through their trusted relationships with families in homes and communities across the UK, Home-Start staff and volunteers are brilliantly placed to spread the messages contained in these animations in a sensitive and practical way, helping families to lay the foundations for babies and children to thrive. It was a pleasure to share with The Princess how we are embedding the animations and supporting resources within Home-Start’s national volunteer training offer to inspire action right across the UK, making the most of the golden opportunity that early childhood presents for shaping long-term health and happiness." 

This morning, The Royal Foundation published an essay, authored by HRH,  about the power of human connection, which captures the ethos of Home-Start. Read it here.