The manager of Partou Tiny Teapots Day Nursery and Pre-school in Harrogate has spoken of the positive impact a special programme to support local Armed Forces families is having in the town and surrounding area.
Claire Martin explained that the setting has a significant number of Armed Forces families within its nursery community.
The Partou Tiny Teapots team recognised that Service life can bring experiences that may affect young children and their families, including deployment and periods of separation, exercises, changes in routine, short-notice changes, relocation and transitions between settings.
This led to the development of their new initiative, ‘Little Journeys, Strong Connections,’ which began with a very simple concept - “listen to our families rather than assume what they need.”
“I have been meeting and having conversations with our Service families to understand their experiences, what we already do well and what we could do differently to support them,” Claire explained.
“Parents are also becoming actively involved in developing the project. Service parents are coming into nursery to speak directly with the team about what military family life can be like, how periods of separation can affect children and the wider family, and the things early years practitioners can do that genuinely help.”
She said the nursery team has also completed a baseline assessment of staff knowledge and confidence.
“This has helped us identify areas for professional development, and we are beginning targeted training around Service family life, deployment and separation, children's emotional wellbeing, transitions, communication and maintaining important family connections,” Claire continued.
“We are developing an external professional partnership with Stephanie, the Service Children's Champion for North Yorkshire, who has visited the nursery to talk about discussing how she could support the team, our developing programme and, importantly, our Service families.”
Claire said the nursery has access to books and resources that can be used sensitively to support children when a family member is away, adding: “This may include stories, family photographs, drawings and conversations that help children express their feelings and maintain a connection with important people in their lives.”
And she revealed that a particularly pleasing aspect of ‘Little Journeys, Strong Connections,’ is the increasingly strong bonds being established between the Service families themselves.
“We have created opportunities within the nursery for families to reach out to and support one another,” Claire said. “Posters encourage simple acts of community support – offering another family a lift, helping with a load of washing, sharing practical help or simply having a cup of tea and a chat.
“For a family managing a deployment, exercise, relocation or a period of parenting alone, sometimes it is these small acts of connection and understanding from somebody who genuinely ‘gets it’ that can make a difference.
“Our families are beginning to connect with one another and develop their own informal support network, while nursery provides a familiar and welcoming place that can help bring those relationships together.”
Claire added: “This is an ongoing project rather than a one-off initiative. We will continue to listen to families, learn from specialists, develop our staff and evaluate the difference our approaches make.
“Ultimately, our ambition is simple: Wherever a child’s journey takes them, we will help them feel connected, understood and that they belong.”
Laura Clay, Partou Regional Childcare Director, warmly welcomed the initiative and the work done by Claire and the Partou Tiny Teapots team to make it an ongoing success.
“It Is a deeply impressive programme which illustrates how closely aligned the team is to the families and how focussed they are in delivering the best possible nursery experience for them,” she said.
“And as Claire has outlined, the benefits have expanded far beyond the walls of the setting with friendships and deeper bonds being developed between the families themselves.
“The team should feel immensely proud of what they have created. We are thrilled at what has already been achieved and the many good things that will continue to happen as a result of the efforts made.”