Catherine, Princess Of Wales Launches Groundbreaking Childhood Project at Anna Freud Centre

British royal family news reveals that today Catherine, Princess of Wales advocated for “fathers’ voices to be heard” when it comes to children’s mental health.

Catherine is patron of the mental health charity, Anna Freud, and during a visit she spoke of the “vital role of relationships and connection in shaping babies, children and young people’s future life outcomes.”

Princess Catherine Advocates for Fathers

Catherine has been patron of the organization since 2016. The group performs evidence-based research on the mental health of children, young people and families.

The visit coincides with a new launch from Catherine’s Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood.

The new project aims to improve the way in which health carers support early social and emotional development.

During the tour at the Anna Freud center, Catherine interacted with parents and their children as well as with the group’s chief executive Professor Eamon McCrory and Alice Haynes, the head of implementation.

Catherine is Patron of the Anna Freud Centre

Catherine told one group “It’s so nice to have the inter-generational involvement.”

The carers described to the princess how “health visitors often don’t have enough time during visits to families, and one parent told her ‘we want to help take away some of the admin [for health visitors] so they have time just to sit [with children] and be curious.’”

In response Catherine asked “Once you get into full-time education, there’s this big gap between two to five and check-ins to see that children are meeting those social and physical development points. Would it be useful to have more regular check-ins with health visitors after two?”

Princess Catherine Visits the Anna Freud Centre

While at the center, Catherine participated in discussions with experts from the charity as well as academics, child psychologists and donors.

In particular she talked about children’s mental health support with Professor Peter Fonagy, the president of Anna Freud.

At one point the princess spoke about the role of schools in supporting mental health, questioning: “It’s about creating a whole culture and environment in a school, and the idea of flexibility, understanding that each family’s needs are different. Do teachers have the time to build and invest in relationships with children?”

The center’s research supports the mental health field with valuable data on how best to aid carers in facilitating mental health.

For example, “the charity indicates that people who are more socially connected – whether with friends, family or their wider community – have fewer mental health problems than those who are less well connected and are physically healthier too.”

Be sure to catch up on everything happening with the royal family. Come back here often for the latest royal family news and updates and make us your favorite hotspot.