Catherine, Princess of Wales has called for better support for new mothers.
The 40-year-old royal – who has children Princes George, nine, and Louis, four, and seven-year-old Princess Charlotte with husband Prince William – called for maternity and children's services to "join the dots" and offer more "holistic" support as she expressed her hopes for integrated children's centres being opened throughout the UK.
The facilities gather midwives, health visitors, social workers, psychiatrists and relevant charities under one roof to provide help and support to vulnerable mothers during their children's early years.
Speaking as she visited Colham Manor Children’s Centre in Hillingdon, London, on Wednesday, Catherine said: “I think more places like this would be so valuable in communities, bringing people together.
“It’s fantastic what’s being done here. It’s not about having more services, it’s actually about being able to integrate them.”
Catherine was wearing a poppy in honour of Remembrance Day but handed it over to three-year-old Akeem after he pointed it out on her coat.
She told the toddler the symbol was “remembering all the soldiers who died in the war".
The princess praised the staff at the centre, which helps women from pregnancy onwards, as she joined one of their meetings.
She said: “It is amazing what you’ve achieved.
“I was chatting to mums, lots of different life experiences, different experiences of engaging with their community here, but also the community services in general.
"(There was) real appreciation, I suppose, of what’s happening here."
Catherine praised the way the facility can help parents.
She said: "(They are) able to form trusting relationships with the staff that are here but then that opens up a whole network of support services that they didn’t know existed.
“I think if you can join the dots to help mums know the sort of provision that is here, and be able to provide it in a holistic way, which is what seems to be so successful here. It does work.
“But also I heard from mums where this type of provision ... when it is not in place, there’s a lack of confidence, not only in themselves, but in the futures of their children.
“So it’s really enforced the importance of places like this for communities and families and also for their kids and the next generation.”
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