Nursery World - Good homes for all children

By Martha Hannan, head of campaigns for Shelter We've all come to realise that a sure start, to coin a phrase, creates the foundation for children to grow into successful and rounded individuals.

We've all come to realise that a sure start, to coin a phrase, creates the foundation for children to grow into successful and rounded individuals.

The vast majority of children who come through the nursery door each morning are fortunate enough to have come from a home that is both safe and secure.

However, during an investigation conducted by Shelter in 2005, a panel of experts discovered the existence of 'buggy babies' - babies who are trapped in their prams for hours on end because of bad housing and who, in some cases, develop deformed skulls as a result.

While an effect such as this is rare, many devastating consequences occur for children trapped in bad housing. This is a problem that has largely been ignored as the nation continues to be distracted by the current housing market boom.

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