Moving home during childhood: is it harmful? Dr Francesca Fiori reflects on discussions with representatives from the Scottish Government and third sector organisations on research evidence that children living in private rented accommodation and moving home frequently have lower levels of socio-emotional well-being.
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In October 2021 my research team held a discussion on the issues of children’s housing and their experience of moving home, and how this relates to child well-being and cognitive development. It was based on my recent policy briefing ‘Moving home during childhood: is it harmful?’ which presented findings from my research project on the same topic. It was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council as part of the Understanding Inequalities project, and by the Royal Society of Edinburgh. We were delighted to be joined by participants from the Scottish Government and organisations Parenting Across
Scotland, Save the Children and Shelter Scotland. Professor Cristina Iannelli, Chair of Education and Social Stratification at the University of Edinburgh, chaired the discussion. Who moves home, and why? Many families move home when they have young children. According to data from Growing Up in Scotland, on which my study is based, 54.5% of children moved at least once by age 10. Most parents cite housing or neighbourhood improvements as the main reason behind their move: a need for a larger house; a desire to raise children in safer and more family-friendly areas; or a preference for owned rather than rented accommodation.
Other parents report that their moves were the consequence of adverse circumstances, such as relationship breakups, evictions, or financial hardship. Although only a minority of parents reported negative reasons for a move, I suggested that there might be a tendency to under-report negative circumstances that triggered a move. Reflecting on their work with children and families experiencing residential mobility but also temporary housing and homelessness, the participants from third sector organisations agreed with this view. As a matter of fact, data reveal a clear social patterning in the likelihood of moving home during childhood, with children from more disadvantaged backgrounds (such as those born in lone-parent families, or from 08
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