Princess Kate has made an official visit to the Anna Freud children’s mental health charity, where she serves as Patron, to explore how relationships and connections influence the development of infants, children and adolescents.
The royal engagement follows her address at the Future Workforce Summit last week, during which she emphasised how stable, caring relationships help establish the supportive settings children require to flourish.
The visit coincides with the announcement of a collaborative initiative between The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood and Anna Freud.
This partnership will develop enhanced training for health visitors to better assist families in fostering social and emotional growth during children’s formative years.
Princess Kate has made an official visit to the Anna Freud children’s mental health charity, where she serves as Patron, to explore how relationships and connections influence the development of infants, children and adolescents.
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Anna Freud stands as Britain’s foremost institution for evidence-driven research and education concerning the mental wellbeing of children, adolescents and their families.
The organisation, where Kate has served as Patron for nine years, works to ensure all young people can fulfil their capabilities through timely, collaborative support tailored to their requirements.
The newly announced training scheme represents a partnership between Anna Freud and The Institute of Health Visiting, commissioned by The Centre for Early Childhood.
This comprehensive professional development initiative will equip health visitors and early years practitioners with enhanced capabilities to strengthen parent-child bonds during crucial developmental stages.
The visit coincides with the announcement of a collaborative initiative between The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood and Anna Freud.
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GETTY
The programme draws upon The Centre’s Shaping Us Framework, incorporating scientific evidence, professional expertise and parental insights to benefit children who face the greatest risk of lacking essential social and emotional competencies by age five.
New research compiled by Anna Freud reveals troubling patterns in youth mental health across Britain.
Seven in ten young adults between 18 and 24 experience loneliness regularly, representing the highest rates among all age demographics.
The charity’s findings demonstrate that individuals with stronger social bonds to friends, relatives or local communities experience better mental and physical health outcomes compared to those with limited connections.
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Despite this evidence, opportunities for meaningful social engagement remain scarce.
Current estimates indicate that one in five children and adolescents in England lives with a mental health condition.
These statistics underscore the critical need for interventions that foster connection and belonging among young people, particularly given the established links between social isolation and psychological wellbeing.
During her visit, the Princess engaged with Professor Eamon McCrory, the charity’s Chief Executive, examining how Anna Freud advances mental healthcare for young people through scientific research, partnerships and innovative clinical approaches.
The charity’s findings demonstrate that individuals with stronger social bonds to friends, relatives or local communities experience better mental and physical health outcomes compared to those with limited connections.
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GETTY
She also met with parents and caregivers who are contributing their experiences to shape the new health visitor training initiative.
The Centre has already supported testing of the Alarm Distress Baby Scale (ADBB), an assessment tool for health visitors to evaluate infant wellbeing during standard appointments.
Following initial trials at two locations, the programme expanded to eight additional UK sites this January, with evaluation continuing through March 2026.
The princess participated in roundtable conversations alongside Anna Freud specialists, young people, teaching professionals and other participants, exploring strategies to build communities that nurture meaningful connections, enhance youth wellbeing and reduce mental health difficulties.