What if the next great corporate innovation was a commitment to building the conditions in which children can truly thrive?

Earlier this month marked Place2Be’s 12^th Children’s Mental Health Week with this year’s theme focussing on belonging. With a growing mental health crisis affecting children and young people, the week invited all of us to think about the role we all play in helping to shape babies, children and young people’s lives. From a corporate perspective, it was also a moment to recognise the important role businesses play in the fabric of our society. Employers are uniquely positioned to influence the wellbeing of the next generation every day through the people they employ, the communities they work alongside, and the values they uphold.

One in five children and young people have a probable mental health disorder and with half of all mental health conditions emerging before the age of 14¹, early life is clearly one of our greatest opportunities to support or prevent some mental health conditions. At its heart, positive mental health is built on a sense of belonging, connection, and emotional security. When children feel supported, they learn they can face challenges, make mistakes and still feel safe and valued. These experiences, in safe and caring environments, help children to understand their emotions, build resilience and the confidence to navigate the world around them. Supporting wellbeing early can shape outcomes across a lifetime.

Businesses, too, have an opportunity to be part of the wider support system that helps children thrive. By supporting working parents and caregivers, they are also investing in community wellbeing and by reinforcing positive social values, employers can play a meaningful role in shaping healthier futures.

The wellbeing of children and their families is paramount, and the challenges faced by working parents are increasingly evident. The 2024 Deloitte report² found that poor mental health costs UK employers £59 billion a year, with around £8 billion of that linked to concerns about children’s mental health among working parents. Crucially, 46% of working parents report concerns about their child’s mental health. When faced with a child’s mental health struggles, many parents find themselves in difficult positions. Many parents reduce their working hours, struggle to sustain productivity or leave their job altogether. Nearly two thirds would rely on external support rather than turning to their employer. Together these findings highlight a significant opportunity for organisations to strengthen support for working families. While there is a clear business case for such action, with every £1 invested in employee mental health yielding an average return of £4.70 through improved productivity, reduced sickness absence, and lower staff turnover, the primary driver for this support should be the profound positive impact it has on families and communities through generations.²

A growing body of economic research reinforces this. PBE’s (formerly Pro-Bono Economics) Happy Childhood Dividend³ highlights that reversing the recent decline in children’s mental health could unlock immense potential for individuals, leading to more fulfilling lives, greater educational attainment, and reduced challenges throughout their lifetime. This positive impact is estimated to generate £51 billion in lifetime societal value. Further reinforcing this, Deloitte’s 2025 prevention report⁴ demonstrates the profound effectiveness of early intervention. It found that investing in mental health gives positive returns at all ages, but during school ages delivers an estimated £6.30 for every £1 invested. This clearly illustrates that prioritising children’s mental health from an early age is not only fundamentally the right thing, providing healthier and happier childhoods, but also a highly effective long-term strategy that benefits everyone.

When companies support parents and carers, invest in communities, or partner with organisations delivering child mental health services, they are strengthening both today’s workforce and tomorrows. Research and initiatives pioneered by The Royal Foundation Business Taskforce for Early Childhood, recognises that social and emotional skills must be prioritised as core developmental building blocks, and organisations across the UK should embed these principles in their work to build a thriving society.⁵

Creating the conditions for children to thrive means ensuring parents and carers have the support they need through employers providing flexibility, access to resources, and workplaces cultures that recognise caregiving as part of modern working life. It also means strengthening community capacity, supporting whole school approaches, and ensuring families can access early help and preventative support before challenges escalate.

Schools cannot fill the gaps alone. Nor can stretched public services. This is why employers have an important opportunity to be part of the wider support system around children and families. The most forward-looking businesses are already reframing how they think about responsibility, prevention, and long-term value. They recognise that investing in families through supportive policies, community partnerships, and contributions to child mental health initiatives is not an add on, but a strategic, values-driven choice. It is an investment not only in their workforce, but also in the families and communities that sustain it and the society in which they operate. It reflects on an understanding that a thriving workforce tomorrow depends on a thriving generation today.

Because when children flourish, so do families.
When families flourish, so do workplaces.
And when workplaces flourish, society thrives.

What if this supporting and nurturing the next generation became our most transformative innovation yet?

Sources:

1. NHS England » One in five children and young people had a probable mental disorder in 2023
2. Poor mental health costs UK employers £51 billion a year for employees | Deloitte UK
3. PBE | The happy childhood dividend: The value of reversing a decade of decline in children’s mental health | PBE
4. The Shift to Prevention: Realising the Socio-Economic Potential
5. The Royal Foundation Early Years report | Deloitte UK