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Many parents worry that the disruption of moving home may be harmful to young children, but research from the Centre for Longitudinal Studies suggests that house moves which are good for the family do not appear to jeopardise child development.

Analysis of more than 14,000 UK children born in 2000-01 and followed by the Millennium Cohort Study finds that 40 per cent had moved at least once by the age of five and five per cent had changed home more than three times. Researchers examined the children's experiences of moving in relation to their scores on cognitive assessments, and whether they had any behavioural problems at age five.

Findings confirm that it is events such as family disruption and loss of employment, along with social disadvantage – indicated by low education, poor physical and mental health of the mother, low family income, not owning the home and living in disadvantaged areas – that account for the apparent adverse association of child development with moving.

While residential mobility does not necessarily equate with undesirable instability, this does not mean it is never detrimental, say researchers. Children whose moves did not improve their living space or area were more likely to have behavioural problems and marginally worse vocabulary scores than non-moving children.

Moreover, the housing scene has changed since the mid-2000s. A decade on, moving home could prove more detrimental if moves are 'forced', due to housing becoming more unaffordable.

"The question remains as to whether the current lack of affordable housing and reduction in rent subsidies in the UK will increase the number of young families moving for negative reasons," says Professor Heather Joshi. "Policies should enable families to move to meet changing needs, without undue stress. We must also ensure that support for children during their 'early years' includes suitable housing for low-income families."

Further information

• Research project: Residential Mobility in Early Childhood in the US and UK: Precursors and Consequences for Child Well-being (Gateway to Research)
• Ludovica Gambaro, Heather Joshi: Moving home in the early years: what happens to children in the UK? (Longitudinal and Life Course Studies)

This article was published in the Spring 2016 issue of the Society Now magazine.