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Best start in life in early years settings


Providing the best start in life is not only about nurturing a child's immediate development but also about setting them up for success in the future. The early years are a time of immense potential, and by ensuring that every child receives the support, care, and opportunities they need, we are investing in the well-being of the child, the family, and society as a whole. This foundational support shapes a child's trajectory in life and helps break down barriers to opportunity and success.

Early years settings play an important part in nurturing the physical, cognitive, emotional, and social development of young children. Their role in creating a safe, stimulating environment, promoting healthy attachments, and supporting family engagement directly influences a child's future well-being and success.

Early years settings contribute to providing the best start in life by:

  • Supporting brain development: create enriching environments through interactive play, language exposure, and safe spaces, which stimulate brain growth. Positive, responsive interactions help strengthen neural connections that are foundational for learning and development.
  • Promoting secure attachments: support the development of secure attachments between children and care givers, helping children feel safe and confident, which is essential for emotional regulation, social skills, and resilience. Settings can offer consistent, nurturing care help foster trust and a sense of security, laying the groundwork for healthy emotional development.
  • Supporting language and communication skills: help foster these skills through talking, reading, and singing to children. By providing rich language environments, you can support the development of vocabulary, communication skills, and early literacy, which are all linked to future academic success.
  • Supporting physical development: create environments that promote motor skills through activities like crawling, walking, climbing, and fine motor activities (such as drawing or playing with small objects). These activities help strengthen muscles, improve coordination, and build foundational skills for later physical activities.
  • Ensuring nutrition and health: support children and families by offering nutritious meals, encouraging healthy habits, and promoting hygiene and safety practices. This is especially important in the critical early years when nutrition directly affects brain development, physical health, and overall well-being.
  • Parent and family support: offer guidance on child development, share resources, and help families access additional support services. By engaging with parents and care givers, you help ensure that the child's home environment supports their developmental needs.
  • Supporting the development of social skills: create opportunities for children to engage in group play, helping them develop social, emotional, and cooperative skills during the period of life when social skills such as sharing, taking turns, and interacting with peers begin to develop.

In summary, you are vital in nurturing the physical, cognitive, emotional, and social development of young children. Your roll in creating a safe, stimulating environment, promoting healthy attachments, and supporting family engagement directly influences a child's future well-being and success.

Training

Eyes on the Baby training (Strand 2)

The Eyes on the Baby training has been designed to help staff prevent Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy (SUDI) in County Durham. Most unexpected deaths of babies under 1 year occur in families living in impoverished circumstances with multiple risks or vulnerabilities, and a multi-agency approach is needed to reach the families most at risk of infant death. Training the multi-agency workforce in County Durham will help staff give advice about safer sleep, support shared working between services, and keep Eyes on the Baby to reduce SUDI.

See Durham Safeguarding Children's Partnership: Eyes on the Baby Strand 2 and Eyes on the Baby.

Resources

County Durham Healthy Settings logo County Durham Healthy Settings logo - mobile version


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