Blog | Nurturing Foundations: The Crucial Role of Emotional Health and Wellbeing in Early Years

SILs Early Years Emotional Health & Wellbeing programme lead Sally Baumber explains why supporting a child to explore and understand their emotions and make meaningful connections will give them the best chances of positive future outcomes.

“Have you ever considered why the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) contains the word ‘foundation?’  It could have just been called the ‘Early Years Stage’ and yet, it wasn’t. 

Throughout my Early Years career, both when teaching and training, I’ve frequently revisited the word ‘foundation’ and truly believe it should be considered the most important word in that title.

When building a house, the foundations are needed to support the entire building. They help withstand any forces the building will encounter - storms, floods, erosion – and it’s the same for humans. 

Our chances of thriving in adulthood increase significantly when we’ve had secure, reliable, strong and dependable foundations.

Before the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage even mentions skills, knowledge and school readiness, it highlights the importance of giving children the best start in life…

“Children develop quickly in the early years and a child’s experiences between birth and age five have a major impact on their future life chances. A secure, safe and happy childhood is important in its own right.”

It's no real surprise that high-profile campaigns such as ‘Shaping Us’ from the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood and the Government’s ‘Best Start For Life’ vision both shine a spotlight on the importance of supporting the emotional health and wellbeing of our youngest members of society.

Both the Anna Freud Early Years In Mind network, and The National Children’s Bureau’s Bring Back Childhood 2021 paper also reflect on how nurturing a child’s foundations gives them the best chances of positive future outcomes. 

The importance of children having positive role models, developing secure attachments, engaging in opportunities to explore and understand their emotions and participate in meaningful interactions has never been as clear.

Open communication, active listening, and responsive interactions will all contribute to a child's emotional security – so it’s crucial that the adults who care for and educate the child are knowledgeable, skilled and appropriately supported to help our youngest generation navigate the complex world of emotions.

Recognising and investing in the importance of emotional development in the early years means we will empower the next generation and provide them with the foundations they need to thrive emotionally, socially, and academically."

Could the SIL Early Years Emotional Health & Wellbeing Award support practitioners in your area?  

Our train-the-trainer options enable delegates to deliver the programme to early years practitioners in their Local Authority.

If you would like to know more about how SIL can support you to develop the emotional wellbeing of children, families and staff you work with, please get in touch! 

As part of the training programme, SIL assisted in the development of NCFE CACHE’s Level 4 Award in Early Years Emotional Wellbeing – a brand new qualification, which ‘Emotional Health and Wellbeing Champions’ can work towards achieving.