Positive relationships

Secure attachments occur when children feel safe and have a reliable adult who consistently meets their physical and emotional needs. Secure attachments are therefore vital for early brain development.

Harvard university have developed the video below on how serve and return interactions with babies and young children can support attachment and brain development:

• Serve and Return: Back-and-forth exchanges

Attachment theory is focused on emotional bonds between humans. When we consider early years, this refers to both primary caregivers such as parents/carers and secondary caregivers such as wider family and friends. 

The NSPCC considers the importance of secure attachment and what this may look like. They also consider the effects of poor attachment on the child:

• Attachment and child development | NSPCC Learning

Anna Freud has created this lovely booklet on attachment in the early years aimed at those working with under 5’s:

• Anna freud attachment

The EYFS recognises secure attachment as crucial to child development stating, children learn best when they are healthy, safe and secure, when their individual needs are met, and when they have positive relationships with the adults caring for them.’ All early years settings must therefore ensure every child has an assigned key person who ensures the child’s learning and care is tailored to their needs.

Birth to five matters have put together some information on the importance of an effective key person approach:

• Attachment and the role of the key person – Birth To 5 Matters

As a secondary caregiver it is important key persons work collaboratively with the primary caregivers in supporting babies and young children. Visit the website for information about supporting your child and babies relationships with others:

• Anna Freud website 

The learning and development requirements of the EYFS defines clearly what early years providers must do working in partnership with parents and/or carers to promote the learning and development of all children in their care. 

Helping parents to support and extend their child’s learning at home, including how to encourage a love of reading is therefore an important role of the early years setting.

Birth to five matters draws our attention to the importance of partnership working with parents:

• Parents as partners – Birth To 5 Matters

More detailed information on effective parent partnership can be found in the document:

• Effective practice: parents as partners.

Child development is a complex subject so sharing your knowledge with parents in an appropriate way can support the learning experiences for the child. See the document below which can be shared with all parents: 

• What to expect in the EYFS

BBC Tiny happy people is a website written for parents to support babies early development and language learning. The website consists of written articles and videos offering advice and practical activities to support this learning journey:

• BBC Tiny happy people 

The National literacy trust have developed a resource called ‘Words for life’ which offers ideas and activities for parents supporting children’s learning in the home from birth to 12 years old:

• Words for life

We have a clear vision for Worcestershire to be a wonderful place for children and young people to grow up. As part of this they pledge to ‘support and empower parents to care for their own children well.’ 

Parenting can be one of the most rewarding yet challenging roles, and as early years providers you are perfectly placed to support families through the ups and downs of family life. Within Worcestershire there is a range of support available to signpost families to.

The Best Start Worcestershire pages bring together the wide-ranging support, information and resources that Worcestershire has to offer for expectant parents and families with babies and young children:

• Best Start Worcestershire

Better Health is an NHS website offering advice and guidance from pregnancy through to parenthood:

• Start for Life home - NHS

Early help is a pathway to supporting parents or carers and their child as they grow up when they may need further support or guidance. Recognising that families identified as needing early help are best supported by practitioners already working with them.