Download Pledge Here
The Pledge calls on all individuals, professionals, and organisations involved in the lives of babies to commit to acknowledging their distinct needs, experiences, and perspectives in every decision that affects them. Babies are born ready to communicate. They have their own minds, unique needs, and a right to be heard and responded to, long before they can use words. This Pledge aims to help those caring for and working with babies, to recognise, value and respond to the voice and needs, ensuring babies are heard and their rights upheld.
Developed through a collaborative project between Children in Wales and Swansea University, the Pledge for Babies is grounded in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and focuses on the First 1000 Days of a child’s life. It was co-produced with input from parents, carers, professionals, and babies themselves, and draws on a wide range of academic, professional, and lived experiences.
Guided by the CREYN network, the development process included two rounds of consultation, ensuring the Pledge truly reflects what matters most to babies and to those who support them. It encourages adults to listen to babies in everyday interactions, in care settings, and when making broader service and policy decisions.
The Pledge also recognises the role of communities in supporting families, and the importance of supporting adults to meet babies’ needs. As such, this launch marks the beginning of a wider campaign to embed the voice of the baby in policy and practice across Wales.
This first stage invites everyone – from parents and carers to practitioners and decision-makers – to affirm their commitment to putting babies at the heart of decisions.
A visual summary of the development and consultation process behind the Pledge can be viewed in the accompanying infographic.
For more information or to make your commitment, please contact Anna Westall – Senior Policy Officer
