The NSPCC and nine other early-years charities have warned that a generation of babies born during the Covid-19 pandemic may be at risk because they and their parents are not being fully supported by health visitors in the weeks and months after birth.
The charities say restrictions to the service and redeployment of health visitors could mean thousands of families do not receive checks they are entitled to. Only one in 10 parents with children under the age of two saw a health visitor face to face during lockdown, according to a study published in August.
The coalition is urging Matt Hancock to provide sufficient funding and resources, to rebuild early years provision.
Full story in The Guardian, 29 October 2020