Nursery World - Coronavirus: Services for babies 'stretched' and failing to reach many families

The pandemic continues to have a ‘significant’ impact on babies, their families and the services that work with them, according to a new report from the First 1001 Days Movement.

While some families with new babies are keen to mix with others again, others are more reluctant PHOTO Adobe Stock

Services are not back to 'normal' in most areas and in some they are stretched, with professionals exhausted, and 'systems hampered by working in silos and funding shortfalls'.

The latest research – a follow up to a report published earlier this year on the impact of Covid and lockdown on babies – finds there is a mixed picture across the country with wide variability in how services are operating.

The report said, ‘There are still many challenges at this time: need for support has increased, and yet services are still not reaching many families. The picture is also highly variable: support for families is not back to “normal” in most places, and there are enormous inconsistencies in access to services. The extent to which the first 1001 days are being prioritised and considered in local long-term recovery planning is highly varied by area.’

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