BABY AND TODDLER GROUPS
Embracing everyone
The Alliance’s Alison Heseltine shares ideas for making your baby and toddler group inclusive and welcoming to all
Alison works as an early years development manager at the Alliance, supporting families and educators.
A baby and toddler group is often the first place that a family with a young child ventures out to in those first days, weeks or months of parenthood, which means it can often lead to the start of friendships that last a lifetime. These can provide some of the glue that holds communities together, as people experience the joy (and challenges) of caring for a little one.
A group can become a trusted source of information and support as well as a valuable tool in fighting loneliness and isolation. It’s often the place where families start to build their understanding of how they can support their child’s learning and development at home through the activities and resources that you provide.
So, how do we ensure that everyone – both adults and children – feels included and welcome, regardless of age, disability or additional needs, gender, sex, sexual orientation, culture, religion, income or family structure?
Take a moment to reflect on your group and, together with your volunteers and families, carry out an audit, ask questions and develop an action plan to address any changes needed.
Promotion and publicity
Does the wording on any adverts or publicity material you produce convey that you welcome everyone? With changes to how we all work, there’s a shift away from the traditional roles with an increasing number of other family members being involved in childcare. Does the name of your group unintentionally make some family members feel excluded? If the words ‘mum’ or ‘mothers’ are used, how do you make sure that dads and grandparents know that they’re also welcome to attend?
Think, too, about where you advertise your group – is it somewhere that a broad range of families will see?
Group timing and routines
Often, the timing of a group is set by the availability of a venue, but it’s worth considering if some families are prevented from attending due to it, for example, overlapping with religious services or commitments, or even perhaps not lining up with public transport for families who aren’t able to walk.
Venue and layout of session
Is the venue accessible for families who may have mobility issues or additional needs? Are changes needed to the layout of the room to support adults and children when in your session – perhaps they need more space, a chair to sit on or a quieter area?
If your venue is in a religious building, do members of other faiths/no faith know that they’re welcome to come in and join the session? Do families not seen as ‘traditional’ know that they can attend without worrying they might be judged?
Resources
Your book selection should tell inclusive and positive stories about a diverse range of children. Do your books value and celebrate the range of different cultures of the families that attend your group – including different family structures, genders and disability? Perhaps your families have stories that they could share? Do you have books available in the other languages spoken in your community?
Toys are a wonderful way of children learning about themselves and the world around them, getting a hands-on experience that supports their development. Are the toys that you provide inclusive and diverse in their representation, sending positive messages about difference? Do they encourage or reinforce negative gender stereotypes – pink with rainbows and flowers for girls, and blue with tools and pirates for boys? Are both boys and girls able and welcome to play with all the toys you provide without judgement or comment?
Snack time
Do some of your families have dietary restrictions that you need to be aware of? Are you sensitive to times when some adults may be fasting?
Building an understanding of your community
Take time to build a picture of your local families. Consider the different stories they have, and look to see how you can represent them in a positive, celebratory way so that everyone feels they belong in your group and, ultimately, the community in which they live.
You may have younger or older mums who worry that they’re going to feel they’ve nothing in common with others at the group, for example, or perhaps a parent from an LGBTQIA+ family who’s worried about assumptions of heteronormativity – what can you do to reassure them that this isn’t the case? What role can your baby and toddler group have in making our society more inclusive and welcoming?
Regularly asking yourself questions about the inclusivity of your group while consistently appraising your resources and approach helps you to build a diverse, community-focused hub that serves as an important touchstone for families. Welcoming everyone benefits everyone, and you have a unique opportunity to be at the forefront of that movement, leading the diversity and inclusivity charge – grasp it with both hands.