Peter Elfer offers a few reflections on the work of leaders, early years teachers and practitioners supporting children and families during the Covid-19 pandemic.
In this new article Peter draws on conversations with leaders, early years teachers and practitioners. The conversations speak of the extraordinary complexity of managing continued work with children and families during the Covid pandemic and the emotional impact of that work.
About the author
Peter Elfer is Principal Lecturer in Early Childhood Studies and Convenor of the Masters Programme in Early Childhood Studies at the University of Roehampton, London where he has been for the last thirteen years. Prior to this, he worked for ten years in the Early Childhood Unit of the National Children’s Bureau in London.He has a long standing interest in the wellbeing of babies and children under three and has published a number of general media (Siren Films; magazine articles) as well as academic papers on this theme. He is a member of the Editorial Board of Early Years: An International Journal of Research and Development, Chair of the Froebel Trust Research Committee and a Vice President of Early Education.
I take my hat off to those leaders, nursery teachers and early years practitioners continuing to ‘hold’ babies, young children and their families in mind, whether they are doing it with physical presence or at a social distance. Thank you for all your thought, work, love and risk taking to keep society’s young children and their families in your professional minds.
