Anna Freud backs the Babies Bill

At Anna Freud, our mission is to transform care for babies, children, young people and families through science, collaboration and clinical innovation. This work helps us advance wellbeing and clinical practice, as well as inform decision-making at the heart of government.

Pregnancy and the early years are a critical window for this work: a time when prevention can have a significant impact and early intervention can change the course of a child’s life. The first 1,001 days – from pregnancy to a child’s second birthday – are a particularly important period for babies’ development, mental health and wellbeing.

The Babies Bill explained

The Infants, Parents and Carers Bill, known as the Babies Bill, is a Private Members’ Bill introduced by Sir Desmond Swayne MP. It will have its Second Reading in the House of Commons on 4 September 2026.

The ambition behind the Bill is to secure a stronger statutory foundation to support for babies, parents, carers and prospective parents during the 1,001 critical days. Its aim is to place a duty on government to:

• assess the needs of infants, parents, carers and prospective parents and carers

• commission and provide appropriate information, services and support to meet those needs

• report annually to Parliament on the support being provided and the difference it is making.

Hear from Claire Evans, Acting CEO of Anna Freud

"We are proud to #BackTheBabiesBill and hope MPs from across Parliament will support it at the Second Reading on 4 September.

"Mental health begins before we are even born and our earliest experiences shape our emotional and social wellbeing. Secure relationships, along with responsive, attuned care provide important foundations for lifelong mental health.

"As such, supporting babies also means supporting their parents and carers. Pregnancy and the transition to parenthood can be a time of significant change and potential vulnerability. Parents experiencing poor mental health, trauma or other challenges may need additional support to build positive relationships with their baby and feel confident in their role as a parent.

"This is why we believe services for babies’ mental health and wellbeing need to sit with support for parents and carers. Prevention means creating the conditions in which families can thrive, while early intervention means making sure help is available when difficulties begin to emerge.

"The Babies Bill could help protect and strengthen investment in the early years. It would enhance the focus on babies and families in national policy, ensuring their needs are assessed, and creating greater accountability for the support available.

"As the detailed elements of the legislation develop, through the parliamentary process, it will be important to establish robust mechanisms of accountability – with clarity on who must do what, for whom, to what standard, and with what consequences – to ensure the potential of the Bill is realised."

Turning evidence into action

A focus on evidencing what works has made Anna Freud who we are today - evidence from science and research, the expertise of professionals we work with, and the voices of young people, as well as parents and carers.

Advancing infant mental health research

We are a proud member of the research consortium for the first national evaluation of the Start for Life programme, including research focused on perinatal mental health and parent-infant relationships.

We are also leading the research team for the National Parent and Infant Relationship (PAIR) Framework, which aims to develop best-practice guidance to improve parent-infant relationship pathways and provision.

In January this year we published the INTEGRATE report - which outlines a practical approach to integrating psychological support for common mental health difficulties during pregnancy and after birth within universal services.

Influencing policy

As a member of the steering group for the First 1001 Days Movement, we help to drive change by inspiring, supporting and challenging national and local decision makers to value and invest in babies’ emotional wellbeing and development in the first 1,001 days.

Providing evidence-based support

We also share practical guidance and clinical expertise with early years practitioners, helping them recognise and respond to the mental health needs of babies, young children and their families.

These experiences have reinforced for us that families need support that is accessible, joined-up and responsive to their individual circumstances. They also show the value of learning from evidence and measuring whether services are making a difference.

Find out more

Find out more about the Babies Bill and how you can support it through the 1001 Critical Days Foundation.

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#BackTheBabiesBill