The Nottingham Pledge is for everyone to commit to, not just parents and caregivers. It has been inspired by the Scottish Infant Pledge, which you can find here: (insert link).
The pledge aims to raise awareness that babies, infants and children have a voice. The pledge is written in simple language from the baby’s perspective:
I am one of the youngest people in my community. I have rights like everyone else. I have feelings and needs.
From pregnancy until I am five, my brain grows very fast. It will never grow faster than this. I rely on the people looking after me to meet my needs during this time, to keep me safe, and to give me the care I need.
Meeting all of my needs helps me to feel calm and settled. It also helps me to grow and learn. It will help me when I am grown up too.
Close relationships help me learn about the world. They help me know my feelings and feel less upset. Feeling loved and safe helps me be healthy and happy. This also helps me to have a good life.
By committing to this pledge, you will always do your best to:
Remember that I am always trying to tell you how I feel. If I do not use words, I will use my face, sounds and body. It’s ok if you won’t always get it right. We can learn together.
See me as a real person, respect my rights and keep me safe. You will think about me and my unique needs. You will understand that everyone around me shapes how I grow.
Help the people who care for me to get the right support.If you care for me, you will ask for help and support when you need it. The support should work for me and the people caring for me.
TBC – EMBED IMAGE OF THE PLEDGE
The Infant Pledge is for everyone, and this webpage signposts people to information and guidance to feel more confident and capable to fulfil these commitments.
You might be reading this page as:
1. a parent or caregiver,
2. someone who works with babies, infants, young children or families
3. or, someone who is not a parent or caregiver and who does not work directly with children
All of us play a role in supporting babies, infants and young children, and/or those who care for them. The sections below will guide you to the right place, and you will likely find more than one section helpful!
1. I am a parent or caregiver
Babies, infants and young children benefit when they have a strong relationship with the person caring for them. It helps their brains to grow and helps them go on to live a healthy and happy life. There are lot of ways to strengthen this relationship.
Below is a list of information and support available to help you meet their needs and to form a strong relationship with the little one you care for:
Alongside the joy that the arrival of a baby can bring, every parent or carer can also experience the anxiety of this sudden responsibility. The sleepless nights, the doubt, the questions – these are all natural and common experiences during the 1,001 days from conception to a baby’s second birthday.
All families need some help to give their babies the best start in life. Whether it is from healthcare professionals or volunteers, family or friends, there is a wide range of support and services available in Nottingham.
The Start for Life offer provides information and links to support that is available when families need it, from conception to the baby’s second birthday.
One of the services in the Best Start for Life – Healthy Babies offer is the Healthy Little Minds service. Healthy Little Minds helps to nurture the relationship between parent/carer and child by providing help and tools to understand your baby’s needs and to support your baby with the best possible start in life.
Parents and carers can make a self-referral or can go to stay and play drop-in sessions at Family Hubs.
Nott Alone – TBC
You might also find it valuable to read the information provided on this page for people who work with babies, infants, young children or families.
2. I work with babies, infants, young children or families
The below resources might help you to begin your journey, build on the work you are already doing, or reassure you that you are fulfilling your commitment to the Infant Pledge.
This guidance is primarily written for all those who come into contact with babies and very young children through their work in community settings and nurseries, and in education, third sector, health and social services, both general and specialist. They can support infants to be active participants in these services, and inform the care and decisions that affect them. It may also be of interest to a wider audience including policy makers and families.
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child is an important agreement by countries who have promised to protect children’s rights.
The Convention explains who children are, all their rights, and the responsibilities of governments. All the rights are connected, they are all equally important and they cannot be taken away from children.
Everyone should know about the special rights of children because children often need help from adults to get their rights and to be able to use them.
The Parent-Infant Foundation has a range of service development toolkits to support strengthening parent-infant relationships. Toolkits that will be useful to professionals, whether working in service provision, commissioning or directly with families.
To commit to the Infant Pledge you can submit your email address below. By doing so, you:
· Will receive Infant Pledge communications materials to raise awareness, for example an email signature banner
· Agree to being sent relevant communications about the Infant Pledge and associated work for our 0-5s in Nottingham. You will not be sent information more than 3 times a year.
· You might be asked if you would be happy to share a case study to go on this page in future, showcasing how you are committing to the Infant Pledge
3. I am not a parent or caregiver, and I do not work directly with children
Lots of people can think that they do not have a role in supporting babies, infants and young children if they do not care for them work with them directly. However, almost all of us have a role to play in some way.
Babies, infants and young children are shaped by their environments and the people around them:
Environments include housing, public spaces, shops, libraries, public transport, and anywhere their parent/caregiver might take them.
People around them include their parents/caregivers, as well as family, friends, and people around their parents/caregivers too!
When parents and caregivers have supportive people around them, they are better able to care for their little one(s). Supportive people could include their co-workers, neighbours, people working at the bank, or someone helping them with their housing. You might have been a supportive person for a parent/caregiver of an infant without even realising!
The following resources might help you to begin your journey, build on the work you are already doing, or reassure you that you are fulfilling your commitments in the Infant Pledge:
Breastfeeding is part of everyday life and has many health benefits – for both the breastfeeding parent and their baby. We can all play an important role in making it a happy, healthy experience for breastfeeding families. This webpage includes information about simple ways we can help to make breastfeeding a more enjoyable and comfortable experience for families.
· You might also find it valuable to look at the resources above for people who do directly work with babies, infants and young children, including the Scottish infant pledge checklist.
To commit to the Infant Pledge you can submit your email address below. By doing so, you:
· Will receive Infant Pledge communications materials to raise awareness, for example an email signature banner
· Agree to being sent relevant communications about the Infant Pledge and associated work for our 0-5s in Nottingham. You will not be sent information more than 3 times a year.
· You might be asked if you would be happy to share a case study to go on this page in future, showcasing how you are committing to the Infant Pledge
