Experts from RAFAKidz were among the attendees at the Thriving Lives in Early Years launch event in Birmingham on 20 April.
RAFAKidz’s Quality Assurance Manager Judith Chinnery spoke on the expert panel at the launch, sharing her knowledge on the support needed for serving families with young children.
The event saw the launch of the report, Enabling Young Children from Armed Forces Families to Thrive: Evidence, Practice and Policy, which explores the experiences of young children from Armed Forces families in the UK and the professionals who support them.
The report’s findings informed the creation of the Early Years Thriving Lives Toolkit, providing a structured, evidence-informed framework to support Early Years providers to recognise, reflect on and strengthen their practice to ensure the needs of young children from Armed Forces families are met.
Judith told attendees:
“We’re really excited by the toolkit. It brings together established principles of high-quality Early Years provision with a specific focus on the lived experiences of Armed Forces children and families.
“We finally have something for Early Years to refer to and fill gaps in knowledge. So much work and research have gone into the toolkit. It’s such a key document for settings to use.”
Judith was joined by her colleague Kelly Tonkin, Room Leader and Military Champion at RAFAKidz Brize Norton, who added:
“The toolkit is really informative. It looks like it will support children and families and isn’t generic. It’s such a good thing for younger children to have support and get their voices heard.”
The launch brought together Early Years practitioners, local authorities, charities, researchers and wider stakeholders, all committed to improving outcomes for Service children and families.
