In December 2025, NCB convened a summit to bring together colleagues working in early years, focussing on translating the Best Start in Life commitments into coherent, system-wide action.
At the event, Sandra Igwe MBE, founder and Chief Executive of The Motherhood Group, gave an impactful presentation exploring the impacts of race and racism in early years policy and practice. In this blog, Sandra offers her own reflections on the summit's discussions and the prevailing sector landscape.
Children’s earliest experiences shape lifelong outcomes. Yet despite decades of evidence showing unequal outcomes for racialised children, policy and practice in early years settings often default to a “colour-blind” approach - the idea that treating everyone the same is the fairest way forward.
In my presentation at the summit, and after nearly ten years of leading The Motherhood Group, I shared why this approach does not deliver equity, safety or better outcomes. Drawing on my experience as an advocate, author of Black Motherhood, Mental Health and Racism, and through engagement with thousands of Black families across the UK, I want to reflect on five key themes that emerged - both from my own work and from discussions during the summit.
1. "Colour-blindness" erases lived experience
By ignoring race, racism and ethnicity, "colour-blind" approaches erase the lived realities of racialised families. Black parents repeatedly describe how their concerns are minimised, misunderstood or dismissed because systems are not designed to recognise how racism shapes stress, trust, communication and access to support. When experience is erased, harm is often mislabelled as individual failure rather than systemic neglect.
2. Universal models mask unequal outcomes
Data consistently shows that racialised children face higher rates of developmental vulnerabilities, reduced access to culturally safe support, and biased assessments in early years and health settings. A universal “treat everyone the same” model conceals these patterns rather than correcting them. If systems do not measure disparity, they cannot meaningfully address it.
3. "Colour-blind" policy blocks targeted intervention
Effective early intervention requires specificity. When race is excluded from analysis and design, targeted solutions that could close gaps are deemed unnecessary or “divisive”. This leaves families navigating systems that were never built with them in mind, reinforcing cycles of late intervention, crisis response and avoidable trauma.
4. Cultural safety and trust are foundational, not optional
One of the strongest themes from the breakout discussions was trust. At The Motherhood Group, we have seen how trust and cultural safety - created by and for Black mothers - enable earlier disclosure of concerns, reduce stigma, and improve wellbeing. Peer-led spaces grounded in lived experience are not “nice to have”; they are essential infrastructure for inclusion and equity.
5. Safe spaces deliver measurable impact
Safe spaces lead to tangible outcomes: improved confidence, earlier help-seeking, reduced shame, and stronger engagement with services. When parents feel seen and believed, they are more likely to seek support early, benefiting both children and systems. Ignoring this evidence in favour of neutrality ultimately costs more - financially and socially.
The summit created valuable space for honest reflection about the limitations of current approaches. If we are serious about giving every child the best start in life, we must move beyond "colour-blindness" and toward intentional, race-conscious practice that addresses inequality at its roots.
Equity is not achieved by sameness. It is achieved by listening, responding and designing systems that recognise difference - and act on it.
Sandra Igwe MBE
Founder & Chief Executive, The Motherhood Group
The views and opinions expressed in this blog are solely those of the individual author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of the National Children's Bureau or the NCB family.