More funding is available for nursery places for two-year olds in Cornwall, extra places are being created, to support children and their parents as part of the recovery from the COVID Pandemic.
Over the last 15 months children have not received the same type of socialisation with their extended families and friends, as they would have done pre-pandemic.
A report from the Institute of Health Visiting highlights that the absence of baby and parent groups is a key issue, which has meant the babies have not benefited from the usual levels of social contact that is vital to their development.
The report goes on to add this has been an "invisible" cost of the pandemic, but one that will have a lasting impact, particularly in the most deprived areas.
Cornwall Council Service Director for Children’s Health and Wellbeing, Lisa Harvey, said: “The impact of the pandemic and the anxiety it has caused both on parental and infant development, as well as health and wellbeing, is significant and worrying.
“There is a concern of hidden harm during lockdown for some children with exposure to significant trauma for example caused by domestic abuse, critical parenting, parental mental health, family debt and worklessness.
“According to our data the number of families requiring additional support has increased by 10% during the pandemic. We hope that this additional funding for nursery places will go some way to relieving the pressure on parents and children across Cornwall.”
A total of £693, 186 is being allocated to create the places, which will support speech and language and personal, social and emotional development.
The recently published ‘Babies in Lockdown’ (Parent Infant Foundation 2020) report, highlighted that the pandemic is exacerbating underlying inequalities including maternal anxiety.
This was backed by a report from Ofsted in November 2020 that highlights many children had left nursery provision throughout the first lockdown and had not yet returned and in those that had returned, there had been a significant impact on their learning and development.
Cornwall Council’s Head of Children’s Community Health, Anne Hall, said: “These effects cannot be underestimated, Health Visitors in Cornwall has seen an increase in the last 16 months of children requiring additional support. Staff are reporting concerns with delays in speech and language and social skills.
“Some parents are also under increased stress due to loss of income and isolation from family members who may have provided support prior to the pandemic.”
Parents and carers who would like to find out more are being asked to visit The Family Information service.