It is well established that all children should be listened to, yet how we do this can be challenging in practice, especially in the Early Years.
The majority of current resources are aimed at children who can use verbal communication, limiting both younger children and children with additional needs (in some cases), so Children in Wales has created resources to support babies and young children to have a voice, and to upskill the Early Years workforce into competent advocates for Rights and Participation.
Early Years settings across Wales have trialled a range of methods and allowed us to film the process, giving us a true insight into the way we can support young children. Babies as young as two weeks took part as we captured the children's interactions and responses.
Our videos can be accessed here: Children in Wales | Early Years - Resource Videos
Alongside the videos are some written resources which consist of:
· Supporting rights in Early Years poster
· Guidance on how to listen and support rights for ‘Babies,’ ‘Toddlers’ and ‘Pre-schoolers’
· Supporting rights within the non-maintained curriculum
These resources are the starting point to raising the profile of the Early Years and the importance of consulting with babies and young children. Children in Wales | Early Years Resources