It's seven-month-old Chloe's first week in daycare. She was fractious for the first few days but is settling down, says Marilyn Toogood, who co-ordinates the baby room at Robert Owen Early Years Centre in Greenwich, south-east London. As she holds the baby, Toogood is alert to her every movement and expression.
The fact Chloe has adjusted so well to unfamiliar surroundings and faces is testament to the experienced practitioner's ability to understand and respond to her needs. Developing this kind of rapport is integral to the Greenwich-based centre's efforts to listen to the views of even its youngest users. And it is working to spread this good practice further to ensure the views of young children help shape services and policy across the London borough.
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