The Duchess of Cambridge visits Blessed Sacrament School
James Whatling/Splash News Online
Kate, 32, was certainly animated and engaged Tuesday as she dropped to her knees and chatted with children at an elementary school in North London, where she was checking on a pet project that helps kids from families affected by addiction.
Among the kids she greeted was a little 4-year-old, Ezekiel, who said he made Kate smile when she asked him what his favorite part of school was. "Lunchtime," he quipped. "She laughed. She is pretty."
A little girl, Seyi, 6, told Kate: "I said it was because she has come to Blessed Sacrament school. I said I liked her dress."
Kate, 32, wearing a salmon pink dress by Goat, brought a smile to the flag-waving kids as she viewed the progress of M-PACT Plus, which helps address addiction in families.
Inside the school, she listened intently to teachers and charity workers as she was updated about its success so far. "Were the parents quite surprised by the things their children were saying?" she asked at one point.
She also asked, "Have you found it difficult to attract parents, given the stigma that can be associated with these issues?"
She remarked that the training being given to teachers to spot children who may have issues due to their parents' substance abuse "gives them more confidence to approach the topics."
Kate launched the initiative with comedian John Bishop while on a visit to Manchester in 2013, when she was pregnant with her son, Prince George.
The project is funded by The Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry in conjunction with Comic Relief and two of Kate's charities, Place2Be and Action on Addiction.
On Monday, Kate took husband Prince William with her to the annual conference of Place2Be, which provides counseling for children in schools.
The visit was unpublicized and, the palace says, meant to be private. They spent two to three hours at the event in London, listening to speeches and presentations.
Monday's conference looked at the transition years between grade school and high school education, and the importance of providing in-school mental health services at the earliest stage possible to tackle problems before they escalate. "It is an area that both the Duchess and indeed the Duke have a special interest," a source tells PEOPLE.
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