Nursery World - Learning & Development: Baby room project

The Baby Room Project has succeeded in directing some much-needed
attention to the care of the youngest children. Dr Sarah Christie talks
to its founders Professor Sacha Powell and Dr Kathy Goouch.

Five years ago, Professor Sacha Powell and Dr Kathy Goouch of Canterbury Christ Church University became aware of an aspect of daycare that appeared to have been overlooked: there was little or no research about what was happening in baby rooms or why.

The resulting research and development work, articles, book and four Annual Baby Room Conferences have begun to direct attention to baby room practice.

Here, Sacha and Kathy talk about the development, impact and future of the The Baby Room Project.

Sarah Christie: Kathy and Sacha, can you tell me how The Baby Room Project was conceived?

Sacha Powell Our work on the review of literature for the birth to three framework really taught us that we didn't know very much about baby room practice. The few examples of baby care that we'd seen for ourselves were troubling for a number of reasons. I think we felt anxious and wanted to know more and to help. We applied to the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation and we encountered people there who recognised the importance of the work, and that was the start.

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