Author: Janet Rose & Rebecca Digby
Author title: Janet Rose, Principal, Norland College, England
Rebecca Digby. Vice Principal and Head of Learning, Teaching and Research, Norland College, England
Description: Through the history of Norland Nannies, Janet Rose, Principal, Norland College and Rebecca Digby, Vice Principal and Head of Learning, Teaching and Research, Norland College outline the development of childcare and understanding of the needs of families and children since 1892.

Author: Emeritus Professor Eunice Lumsden
Author title: Editor
Description: Eunice Lumsden, Editor, discusses the importance of reflecting on our role in caring for babies and supporting families.

Author: Giorgio Tamburlini, Anduena Alusahj, Chiara Beccalli, Antonella Provenzano
Author title:
Description: The article describes the experience of the Un Villaggio per crescere (VpC) programme in Italy that was established in 2018. It was aimed at developing, testing and scaling-up a model of low-threshold, community-based service to respond to increasing needs of parenting support in the early years. The programme operates through small in-person group activities, in co-presence of parents and children. They are held free of charge in spaces usually located in low-income neighborhoods. Over the last eight years there have been a series of evaluation efforts which have consistently confirmed its effectiveness in improving parental self-efficacy, the adoption of developmental-focused activities at home and the use of community services. The evaluation also allowed to identify requirements for ensuring a broader and more equitable distribution of its benefits, the most important being an early and universal contact with new parents/parents-to-be. Consequently, the programme has laid the groundwork for a country-wide broader governmental parenting support programme which combines the VpC approach with a universal progressive home visiting component.

Author: Kelly L. Elliott, Jade Madeline Sims, Rachel Podl, Isabel Flicker, Kyleigh Gates-Haas, Devanshi Khetawat and Taylor Kaufman and Tracy Moran Vozar
Author title: Kelly L. Elliott, Jade Madeline Sims, Rachel Podl, Isabel Flicker, Kyleigh Gates-Haas, Devanshi Khetawat and Taylor Kaufman, The Graduate School of Professional Psychology, University of Denver, USA
Tracy Moran Vozar, The Graduate School of Social Work, University of Denver, USA
Description: The COVID-19 Pandemic significantly fragmented family social support ecosystems, exacerbating challenges for caregivers and child outcomes. A growing body of research highlights the important role of social support, psychoeducation, and resource awareness in promoting caregiver well-being and fostering positive developmental trajectories for children. Beyond individual family units, there is a well- documented need for this support within the broader caregiving ecosystem to provide structure needed to coordinate care and amplify these benefits across family systems. Community-based programming presents a meaningful opportunity to rebuild these fractured networks by integrating social support, psychoeducational components and resource-building into accessible, community-centered initiatives. This article examines three such initiatives, WePlay, WeRead and FamFair, each designed to meet these interconnected caregiving ecosystem needs within community settings. Findings suggest that programming which engages the caregiving ecosystem holds promise for restoring social connectivity and strengthening family resilience.

Author: Kaat De Backer and Nicola Vousden
Author title: Kaat De Backer, Department of Women and Children’s Health, King’s College London, England
Nicola Vousden, National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit, University of Oxford, England
Description: This article examines maternal deaths among women with children’s social care (CSC) involvement using the United Kingdom (UK) MBRRACE-UK data (2014–2022) and a confidential enquiry. Of 1,451 deaths, 28.9% involved CSC, with most occurring up to one year postpartum. These women experienced high levels of deprivation, domestic abuse, mental illness, and medical comorbidities. They were more likely to die from psychiatric causes or homicide. Care was often fragmented, with poor coordination, stigma and limited engagement attributed to systemic barriers. Findings highlight the need for trauma-informed, integrated, multidisciplinary care, improved domestic abuse identification, and enhanced postnatal support to reduce preventable mortality in this vulnerable group.

Author: Hlumelo Gxotiwe, Amber Pencharz and Jane Simmonds.
Author title: Hlumelo Gxotiwe, Amber Pencharz and Jane Simmonds. goGOGOgo, South Africa
Description: In South Africa, grandmothers (gogos) play a central yet often under-recognised role in caregiving within multigenerational households. With many children living in grandparent-headed homes, gogos influence maternal health, infant care and family wellbeing during the first 1000 days of life. Drawing on the work of the non-profit organisation goGOGOgo, this article outlines community-based interventions that support grandmothers’ health, wellbeing and intergenerational relationships. Particular focus is given to the GOGOcare pilot, a 10-week programme that provides evidence-informed guidance on pregnancy, infant feeding and child development, while valuing lived experience. Findings show strong engagement, improved communication across generations and enhanced mental well-being. The article argues that parent education must extend beyond mothers to include wider caregiving systems, recognising grandmothers as critical partners in strengthening families and improving early childhood outcomes.

Author: Shelley Chatten MSc
Author title: Perinatal Clinical Lead, Derbyshire, England
Description: Grandparents are becoming increasingly relied on because of the contemporary challenges faced by parents including economic pressures, smaller families and living away from relations. This article explores how they can act as protective factors for perinatal mental health, especially as lack of social support is a key risk factor. Grandparents can provide emotional reassurance, childcare support and parenting knowledge. However, there can be tensions because of, for example, different parenting styles. It is also recognised that not all families have grandparents to provide this support.

Author title: Dr Siobhan Higgins, Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Parent Infant Psychotherapist and Joint Lead for Psychological Professionals, South East Neonatal, Network Senior Clinical Tutor, Dept of Psychology, Kings College London.
Dr Jacinta Cordwell, Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Joint Lead for Psychological Professionals, South East Neonatal Network, Psychology Lead for Neonatal Services, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
Description: Neonatal admission can be an intensely distressing and disorienting start to parenthood. Joy and closeness are replaced with medical urgency, separation and uncertainty. Parents often experience shock, fear, grief for the early parenting experience, alongside worry about their infant’s survival, development and wellbeing. These emotional responses often exist alongside feelings of gratitude and relief, even if they are not always visible or acknowledged. On discharge home, parents often experience intense emotions, weight of care responsibilities and low confidence. Fathers, partners and wider family members also carry emotional strain, while feeling less seen or supported. Neonatal infants are also shaped by the environment of the unit, making sensitive, relational caregiving essential. Families benefit when professionals gently acknowledge difficult emotions including fear, guilt, grief and relief. Inviting parents to tell their story and normalising a range of emotions and reactions, can help parents begin to make sense of their experiences. Supporting parent–infant bonding through involvement in care, responding to infant cues and confidence-building conversations can be helpful. Offering space for reflection and signposting to perinatal, parent-infant or peer support can help family wellbeing and build confidence in early relationships.

Author: Rachel Podl and Kelly Elliott
Author title: Rachel Podl and Kelly Elliott, The Graduate School of Professional Psychology, University of Denver, USA
Description: This article examines the challenges faced by caregivers of babies and young children with developmental disabilities and highlights the importance of accessible, ongoing support systems. Caregivers often experience stress, burnout and social isolation while navigating the complex medical, behavioural and educational needs of their children. Research indicates that interventions including psychoeducation, caregiver skill building, mental health services and community support improve both caregiver and child outcomes. However, barriers such as provider shortages, fragmented systems, financial strains and social stigma limit access to these services. Therefore, flexible, community-based support programmes that combine therapeutic strategies, resources and social connections are a promising way of supporting caregivers, babies and young children with developmental disabilities.

Author: Emeritus Professor Eunice Lumsden
Author title: Editor
Description: Eunice Lumsden, Editor has a conversation with Professor Sir Al Aynsley-Green on his career in medicine, as the first Children’s Commissioner in England and as an advocate for children’s rights.