Tag: Fight for a Fair Start campaign

NSPCC urges Scottish Government to support early childhood

Hundreds of baby booties knitted by public

People from across Scotland have knitted hundreds of baby booties to help the NSPCC campaign for better support for young children and their parents.

The child protection charity is urging the Scottish Government to prioritise resources for early years services, as it sets out its spending plans for 2022/23 at Holyrood tomorrow (Thursday, December 9).

NSPCC Scotland received 435 pairs of baby booties, after it put out a call for people to knit in support of its Fight for a Fair Start campaign. The charity has sent over 120 pairs to MSPs with message cards to raise awareness of the importance of investing in early childhood. The remaining booties are being donated to families supported by the NSPCC and other organisations.

The charity says providing support for very young children and their families is vital because people’s experiences in early childhood affect their future mental and physical health. It wants to see substantial investment in specialist services that support the parent-infant relationship, which is so important for a child’s healthy development.

Joanne Smith, Policy and Public Affairs Manager for NSPCC Scotland, said: “A baby’s experiences can greatly impact the rest of their life. Yet, this is a stage of life that is too often overlooked and under-supported.

“Too many children in Scotland do not have a fair start in life. Last year, around half of those on the child protection register and over a third coming into the care system were younger than five years old.

“We have been overwhelmed by the support we have received from the Scottish public for this campaign. And we hope our MSPs also show their support for the needs and rights of vulnerable infants by pushing for greater investment in the early years.

“The Scottish Government needs to act with a matter of urgency because we know that providing early support to families can prevent harm and, in turn, change life trajectories.”

In studies carried out before the pandemic hit, NSPCC Scotland found that very few services across the country specifically addressed the emotional and developmental needs of children under the age of two.

And the charity is concerned the pandemic has put babies at greater risk, with Public Health Scotland data revealing a higher than expected proportion of children having one or more developmental concerns recorded at their 13-15-month review, since February this year.

Daisy*, a mother-of-two, had her eldest child taken into foster care during the first lockdown because of a breakdown in family relationships and was referred to the NSPCC’s Together for Childhood2 project in Glasgow.  She was struggling with her mental health and managing her children’s needs. An NSPCC practitioner supported her and worked through the Circle of Security parenting programme3 with her.

Daisy* said: “The Circle of Security parenting work made me realise the way I was parented has affected the way I was parenting my kids. Even though I thought my upbringing was good, there were obviously tactics my parents used that have affected the way that I was parenting my kids and it’s obviously not been healthy. 

“My parents didn’t listen when I went to them with my problems and I was guilty of that with my kids before doing the Circle of Security work.  It’s been very helpful to realise that’s not the way things should be, so I’ve put an end to that and have found new strategies to better my relationship with my kids and how they feel about themselves as well. 

“I used to use distraction, even with the baby when he was crying, like jangling a set of keys in his face to distract him and make him laugh. But now I pick him up and give him a cuddle and be with him and how he’s feeling. 

“He calms down much quicker and his smiles come naturally again, rather than me trying to force them, because he’s feeling better, because I’ve tended to that need that he had, because he just wanted a cuddle and love.”

People can show their support for our Fight for a Fair Start campaign by signing our petition here.

NSPCC asks people to knit for a fair start for children in Scotland

NSPCC Scotland is calling on people to knit two pairs of baby booties to help the charity campaign for better support for young children and their parents.

For every pair of booties received, the charity will donate one pair to families it works with in Glasgow and the other it will use to raise awareness with MSPs about the importance of investing in early childhood.

Through its Fight for a Fair Start campaign, NSPCC Scotland is urging the Scottish Government to provide support for all families who need it, so that every child is given the chance to thrive.

The charity says substantial investment is needed in specialist services that support the parent-infant relationship, which in turn help a child’s healthy development and prevent future problems in its life.

Evelyn Hart, a volunteer counsellor at the Aberdeen Childline base, has already been busy with her knitting needles and has completed her first pair of booties.

She said: “I want to help the NSPCC in this campaign because I know that it is so important that families receive all the support they need, so children can grow up feeling safe and nurtured.

“If we can prevent some of the trauma and hardship that some children face by giving them a better start in life, then I want to do what I can to help – and knitting a couple of pairs of booties is a small task!”

NSPCC Scotland research shows that despite overwhelming evidence that people’s experiences in early childhood lay the foundations for their future health and wellbeing, there is still very little support available in the country for families with young children.

In studies carried out before the pandemic hit, the charity found that very few services across Scotland specifically addressed the emotional and developmental needs of children under the age of two. Last year, around half of the children on the child protection register and over a third coming into the care system in Scotland were younger than five years old.

Joanne Smith, Policy and Public Affairs Manager for NSPCC Scotland, said: “A baby’s experiences can have a profound impact on the rest of their life. Yet, this is a stage of life that is too often overlooked and under-supported.

“We recognise that advances in early years policy have been made in the last decade in Scotland but this needs to be matched with funding. Providing early support to families can help build positive relationships that prevent harm and, in turn, change life trajectories. This is fundamental to transforming childhood and creating equality in Scotland.

“People don’t need to be seasoned knitters to support our campaign, in fact they could even sew or crochet the booties. And we will appreciate all the support we can get to help us fight for a fair start for every child.”

To support the Fight for a Fair Start campaign by creating two or more pairs of baby booties sign up here. People will then receive an email, which includes patterns and a postal address to send the booties to by August 31.

People can also support our Fight for a Fair Start campaign by signing our petition here.