The Early Years Alliance has today launched a new toolkit – ‘Safe Spaces’ – to help early educators identify, understand and support children and families who are experiencing domestic abuse.
According to the charity Safe Lives, around one in five children in the UK experience domestic abuse during their childhood – and by the time they start school, at least one child in every class will have been living with domestic abuse from birth.
Recent research has found that people who experience domestic abuse as babies or young children are more likely to experience negative outcomes than older children. It’s therefore essential that those working in the early years can spot potential signs that a child is experiencing, or has experienced, domestic abuse, and how to respond appropriately.
‘Safe Spaces’ is a new, comprehensive, interactive toolkit produced by the Early Years Alliance that supports early educators, and staff working in family projects in the context of domestic abuse in relation to young children.
This resource offers strategies and approaches to enable staff to both identify and support children experiencing domestic abuse, as well as empowering them to seek additional support where necessary.
The Safe Spaces Toolkit is available to purchase on EYA Central for £58.30 for Alliance members and £106 for non-members at https://bit.ly/4ryfrR0.