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When it comes to the baby room, getting settling in right is essential. It is usual for nurseries to take some time (most commonly 1-3 weeks) to help babies feel settled in the baby room, with time where both the baby and parent/carer are in the room, progressing to increasing amounts of time where the baby is alone and getting used to the environment and staff. We’ve been working with York Local Authority to look at what can be done to stagger settling in and reduce the number of babies who are settling into a baby room at any one time. In this blog, we share three steps that York LA are taking and suggest questions that we all should ask ourselves about the process.

Why is it an issue?

With the expansion of the entitlement, we are seeing many more babies starting nursery and, often, baby rooms growing in size. This can lead to more than one baby settling in at one time. In our research, we’ve identified cases where there are six babies settling in at the same time to the same baby room. Babies who are settling in are likely to be in a state of emotional distress, and need careful 1-1 attention and support. Minimising the number of babies who are settling in at one time is important for quality in the baby room on many levels:

• It makes it more feasible to foster the new baby’s secure attachment to baby room staff.
• It prevents other babies from becoming dysregulated; with just one baby settling in, it is possible to stay consistent with the rhythms of the day and a calm and engaged atmosphere based on quality interactions.
• It helps staff to manage their own emotions in relation to the emotional distress of the babies. Coping with a never-ending onslaught of emotional distress takes its toll, leading to burnout or even the desire to leave the sector altogether. On the other hand, when settling in feels like a carefully managed process, with a lot of support around it, educators can feel gratified by the transition and the baby’s growing trust in the adults around them.

What is York LA doing to encourage staggered settling in?

First, York LA are clear that the funding associated with a baby’s place can be accessed flexibly to support with settling in. The LA are clear that:

Children may take up reduced hours during the settling in period, however you can claim for their normal pattern of attendance for the term, during this period. The Local Authority recommends a 3-week settling in period.

They are even considering whether a 3-week recommendation is helpful, or whether more nuanced guidance can be given to settings to support them to make the right decisions. It’s not just about having this possibility available, but ensuring that nurseries are fully aware of this and can make best use of it to stagger settling in.

Second, York LA are aware of the impact of parents and carers’ expectations on settling in and are trying to shape these expectations so that they are in the best interests of the baby. Because the funding is a ‘parent entitlement’, reduced hours during settling in could be construed by a parent/carer as a setting owing them a certain number of hours because they did not claim their full entitlement. However, if parents/carers are aware of just how important settling in is for their baby’s wellbeing, and can see how carefully nurseries plan for a successful settling in process, they are more likely to support this approach. LAs can signal to parents the importance of this in guidance they produce around finding the right provider for their baby.

Finally, York LA see the connection between staggered settling in and group size in the baby room. If you have a baby room with a capacity of 30 babies, there will likely need to be multiple babies settling in to that room at one time. However, if you have three smaller baby rooms in the setting, each with 9-12 spaces, babies can be settling into the nursery at the same time but into different rooms. This supports settings to minimise stress and build relationships in a careful way. There is lots of evidence from around the world to suggest that keeping group size small for babies is fundamental to the quality of their experiences (take a look at our global evidence review to find out more: https://thebabyroom.blog/report-1/), and staggered settling in is a key part of this relationship.

What questions should we ask ourselves?

• Are our expectations around settling in for babies consistent and realistic? We’ve come across settings who are extremely careful when it comes to settling in and take a lot of time over the process.
• Do we have the buy-in of parents/carers when it comes to doing settling in right? We are sure that if parents/carers understand the importance of settling in, they will work with LAs and nurseries to take a more staggered approach and won’t put pressure on nurseries to claim all of their funded hours during this process.
• So how do we get the message across?
• Are nurseries aware of the ways in which they are supported to manage settling in? Do they know about the flexibility of funding and do they feel supported by their local authority and by the local community to structure settling in so that it puts babies’ wellbeing at the centre?