Oxfordshire Baby & Parenting Guide | Page 26

22 Your child is like a sponge, waiting to soak up everything that surrounds them. Find out how to make the most of their amazing abilities and how these are supported by the government’s Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Unique your Every child is a unique individual with their own characteristics and temperament and they develop in their own ways and at their own pace. Development is continuous and involves a complex interaction of environmental and genetic factors: nature and nurture, if you like! Every area of development – physical, cognitive, linguistic, spiritual, social and emotional – is equally important in this amazing process. child is The Early Years Foundation Stage Children are vulnerable and can only become resilient and confident if they have the necessary support from others. Early experiences with their main carers will strongly influence how they develop, so nurturing relationships at home and in childcare settings are essential for a happy, healthy and inquisitive child. The Early Years Foundation Stage government initiative has been created to help support children from birth to five, by: • providing information on child development from birth to the end of their reception year in school • describing how early-years practitioners will work with children and their families to support their development and learning • defining how children should be kept safe and cared for and how everyone can work together to ensure that children achieve the most that they can in their earliest years of life.