Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton showed off her baby bump earlier today during a visit to a Manchester, England, primary school made famous by a British television show.

The duchess spent two hours at the Willows Primary School, where she launched a new charitable project aimed at helping children and their families cope with chemical addiction. The school is located in the Wythenshawe housing estate, the setting for " Shameless," Channel 4's critically acclaimed comedy-drama about a working-class community.

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"The cycle of addiction needs to be broken," she said in a speech, according to Britain's Telegraph newspaper. "My hope is that through this specialist and targeted delivery of care, these children will have the best possible start in life - the one that they deserve.??"

The new counseling program is being run by two of Kate's charities, Place2Be and Action on Addiction, in partnership with Comic Relief and her husband, Prince William, and Prince Harry's charity the Royal Foundation.

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In addition to planting a willow tree, the duchess also met with a few families to hear about their experiences with addiction.

Earlier, as she arrived by train from London, Kate was greeted by cheering school children and showered with gifts, including a doggy hamper for her cocker spaniel, Lupo, which was delivered by a 10-year-old student and the school's mascot, a Cavalier King Charles spaniel named Henry.

"Henry, you have gone to so much trouble," the duchess, 31, said, obviously delighted, according to The Telegraph.

Now six months pregnant, Kate's baby bump was visible beneath her $1,500 Erdem floral-print dress, which she paired with blue suede heels.

The school, which has had a notable turnaround in recent years, according to The Telegraph, recently suffered a blow. On April 11, the day Kate's visit was announced, vandals set fire to the school's new $60,000 playground.

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