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Help, advice and support for practitioners working in the Early Years sector.
Early childhood intervention for children living in poverty has shown to decrease the impact poverty can have on a child's outcomes (Molloy, 2019). When working It is our duty as childcare professionals to support all children in our care especially those experiencing poverty and from disadvantaged backgrounds. Child starting school from disadvantaged backgrounds are on average 4 months behind their peers (Hutchenson et al., 2020), with disadvantaged children presenting with a 17-month language gap compared to the least disadvantaged children in society (Grenier, 2020). Therefore it is important as early years providers we provide high-quality care and early education to try and reduce this gap. However, just because a child lives in poverty they should not be treated differently. Simpson et al. (2017) research highlighted how children are not differentiated within early years setting just because they live in poverty. Through actively listening to every child a practitioner can better understand what it is they need in order to reach their full potential. Although Grenier (2020) states a disadvantage gap exists between the poorest and richest children, Simpson et al.'s (2017) findings indicate it is the experience a child has outside of the early years setting that affects the gap. Therefore early years setting should identify the opportunities which are miss by disadvantaged children and where possible make these opportunities achievable by all (Ofsted, 2016).
Furthermore, there are many ways in which we can support children in our settings these include:
Building respectful relationships with parents are carers
Know what to look for, understand how poverty presence itself
Support home learning,
Nurture emotional regulation
Know what other organisation you can refer families on to
You are not alone.
You are not alone.
Families, agencies, educational settings and the community working together can improve the outcomes for children living in poverty (Clark, 2020). Working in partnership will enable support, resources and advice to be shared with the children and their families.
ECPUK contains some information about supporting young children living in poverty. Further information can be obtained from the local council, citizens advice and a wide range of charities both nationally and locally to Portsmouth.
This section is for information about some of the charities that can provide advice, information and support both nationally and locally to Hampshire and Portsmouth.
Child Poverty Action Group: a nationwide charity that raises awareness of the causes, extent, nature and impact of poverty. Provides support for families in need. Additionally, this charity provides advice and support for both those in need as well as professionals supporting families. A link to Children’s Poverty Action Group can be found by click the icon above.
The Children’s Society: a nationwide charity that provides specialised support to help young people make meaningful changes and rediscover their hope. Additionally, this charity provides advice and support on all issues relating to children's health and wellbeing, for children, their families as well as professionals supporting families. As poverty impacts, other areas this charity provides holistic support. A link to The children society can be found by click the icon above.
Action for Children: a nationwide charity that works with policymakers to ensure children and young peoples voices are heard. Additionally, Action for Children safeguards and helps disadvantaged children and young people by providing practical and emotional assistance, ensuring their voices are heard, and advocating for long-term changes in their lives. As poverty impacts, other areas this charity provides holistic support. A link to Action for Children website can be found by click the icon above.
Kids Out charity: a national charity that provides disadvantaged children with exciting days out, with the hope to build confidence and promote mental wellbeing. A link to the KidsOut charity website can be found by click the icon above
The Portsmouth foodbank: a local group supported by the Trussell Trust, provides three days of nutritionally balanced emergency food for people living in poverty in Portsmouth. A link to the the Portsmouth Foodbank website can be found by click the icon above.
The Roberts Centre: provides innovative support for families who struggle with their circumstances. The Robert's centre is located centrally to Portsmouth and offers a wide range of services including a day nursery, holiday schemes, cooking classes and general advice and support. A link to the Roberts Centre website can be found by click the icon above.
Wave 105's cash for Kid is a grant-giving charity that supports the "lives of disadvantaged children and young people in our communities who are affected by illness, poverty, neglect or have additional needs" (Wave 105, nd). A link to the Wave 105 Cash for Kids website can be found by click the icon above.
Home Start Portsmouth: provides physical help for families as well as emotional support. As poverty is not only about money-related Home start provide support for other aspects that can bring on poverty for a family. A link to Home Start Portsmouth website can be found by click the icon above.
What can I do?
What can I do?
When tackling poverty, a holistic approach is needed. A holistic approach considers the whole child, including their family, community and culture as an individual (Karstadt et al., 2013). Therefore, when working holistically, practitioners need to consider the child’s individual stage of growth and development (DfE, 2017) as well as the social and cultural context of the child (Wall et al., 2015). Having effective parent partnership enables early years settings and families to work together with the view to support the child. It is important that open and honest communication is allowed to flow, and in order for this to happen, trust must first be built. However, Cronin et al. (2017) suggest that parents from disadvantaged backgrounds may feel "intimidated and disempowered" (p. 92) when discussing their current situation. Therefore it is imperative that practitioners are sensitive to their feelings and understand that the support they can provide is not going to instantaneous but takes time.
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