Exploring a Longitudinal Birth Cohort for Children at Risk of Poor Outcomes

Millions of children in the UK face early adversity, which can have lasting effects on their health and development. Despite their significant numbers, these children are largely underrepresented in the UK's renowned national longitudinal studies on child development. This year-long project aims to fill that crucial gap by investigating the potential for a new study that will provide valuable insights into the challenges these young people face.

The project builds upon the team member’s parallel work, including the ESRC-funded Early Life Cohort Feasibility Study and an Administrative Data Research England Community Catalyst project aiming to provide national strategic leadership for administrative data and research in this field.

Professor Katie Harron, from University College London, will lead a key part of the project, focusing on identifying a target population and potential sampling strategies using the ECHILD database. The study will explore how best to identify children at risk, either directly through administrative data indicating child welfare service involvement or by sampling children at elevated risk based on maternal characteristics. This project is funded by ESRC.