Princess of Wales Expands Early Childhood Development Initiative to Eight NHS Trusts

The program, which uses the Alarm Distress Baby Scale to support infant emotional wellbeing, builds on successful pilot results and aims to reach thousands more families across the UK.

• The Alarm Distress Baby Scale (ADBB), a tool designed to assess and support infant emotional development, will now be implemented in eight NHS trusts across the UK.
• This expansion follows a successful pilot program conducted in two NHS trusts from June to December 2023, which showed overwhelmingly positive results in fostering parent-child bonding and identifying early developmental concerns.
• The initiative is funded by a £210,000 grant from the Royal Foundation’s Centre for Early Childhood and will run until March 2026, involving regions in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
• Health visitors using the ADBB tool have reported improved conversations with parents about infant wellbeing and the ability to provide timely support for families in need.
• The Princess of Wales, who has championed early childhood development as a central focus of her public work, expressed her excitement about the program's expansion and its potential to positively impact thousands of families.

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