Early Years - Early Learning and Childcare (ELC)

The below content sets out some of the actions currently underway on tackling gender bias in Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) and promoting gender equality.

Getting It Right For Every Child (GIRFEC)

(GIRFEC) is Scotland’s approach to promote and improve wellbeing to help children and young people thrive. GIRFEC helps families and carers support their children and young people, so that they build resilience, reach their full potential and better respond to the challenges and opportunities that life brings.

The GIRFEC approach builds on the child or young person’s strengths and the support network around them. This starts with parents, family and community at the core, supported by universal services such as health and education, including Early Years, and then specialist services if needed.

One of the core values of GIRFEC is “Valuing diversity and promoting fairness”. This means that services are expected to demonstrate this by tackling inequalities and prejudice, supporting all children to achieve their potential.

Parenting, Play and Babybox

The Baby Box is gifted to every baby born and registered in Scotland. Its contents are the same for every baby and have been selected to avoid gender stereotyping. The clothes are in gender neutral colours and the comforter, books and other items have all been selected to avoid any unconscious bias.

On the Play and Parenting side, our policies apply to all children. Play is sometimes classified as free play and we encourage this to be child led. Advice is around promoting outdoor and/or loose part play and letting children use their imagination and relationship interactions to play by themselves or with each other. Shop bought toys of any sort are not discussed or promoted.