Excerpts 

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"Our findings demonstrate the importance of early years education for children born without social advantage - helping to narrow the gap in early development and level socioeconomic inequalities,” said Dr Catherine Davies, professor of language development at Leeds University and one of the authors of the study.

"It's essential that we facilitate access for the families who will benefit most from this support, at this crucial stage in youngsters’ lives."

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The research also found that attending formal childcare had a positive impact on children’s personal and social skills.

The fact that childcare settings still had a positive impact despite the disruption caused by the pandemic illustrated their key role in children’s development, said Dr Nayeli Gonzalez-Gomes, reader in psychology at Oxford Brookes University and principal investigator on the study.

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