Working with Babies

About this course.

Caring for babies is one of the most rewarding and important roles in early years. The first two years of a child’s life are a period of extraordinary growth: a tiny, dependent newborn becomes a curious, mobile, communicating toddler. Everything that happens in this time — the warmth of the relationships around them, the quality of the care they receive and the richness of their everyday experiences — helps to shape how their brain develops and how secure, confident and capable they grow up to feel. Babies cannot tell you in words what they need, so the adults who care for them must learn to read their cues, respond warmly and consistently, and build the trusting relationships on which all early learning rests.

This course is for early-years practitioners, nursery baby-room staff, childminders and assistants who care for babies aged from birth to two. It focuses on the practice of caring for babies well: the role of the key person and why secure attachment matters so much; how babies develop across the prime areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS); the everyday care routines of feeding, nappy changing, sleep and comfort; and how to create a safe, calm and stimulating environment. It also covers working in genuine partnership with parents, who know their baby best, and a brief reminder of the heightened vulnerability of babies and your safeguarding responsibilities — though the heart of the course is warm, responsive, child-centred care and development.