Nursery World - EYFS Best Practice - All about… families after separation

With ‘blended families’ on the increase, early years practitioners need to be in tune with the feelings of the children affected, and aware of their obligations to both parents, writes Annette Rawstrone

Within five years of going through a separation or divorce, up to half of parents will have remarried, meaning that early years practitioners will work with a wide range of family structures and care arrangements.

One of the fastest-growing family types in Britain is the stepfamily. In 2011, 85 per cent of these ‘blended’ families had a mother and stepfather, while in 11 per cent they were formed of a father and stepmother, and four per cent included children from both partners’ previous relationships (General Lifestyle Survey for Great Britain). It is therefore important for practitioners to get to know the make-up of individual families and be aware of potential issues and day-to-day practicalities that this may involve – from the logistics of children splitting their time between different households to the emotions of adjusting to a new step-parent.

Register now to continue reading

Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:

What's included