The Department for Education (DfE) has published findings from the second wave of the Children of the 2020s longitudinal study in England, measuring the circumstances and outcomes of children and their families. The report draws data from a primary caregiver survey conducted when children were two years old. It focuses on family economic circumstances; parenting; mental health and wellbeing of caregivers; screen time and digital media use; children’s language development; and emotional and behavioural outcomes. Findings include: 10% of primary caregivers reported symptoms of depression; 25% of children scored above the threshold for possible emotional or behavioural problems; and overreactive parenting, broadly defined as displaying anger or irritability in response to a child’s behaviour, was linked to children’s emotional and behavioural problems.
Read the report: Children of the 2020s: second survey of families at age 2
Source: DfE
Date published: 26 February 2026
