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The Early Years Alliance has today (Thursday 6 October) launched a new, free Winter Toolkit, which includes a series of useful resources to help early years providers and parents navigate the unique difficulties they may face during the winter months. 

With the increasingly cold weather presenting challenges for keeping both staff and children safe and healthy, and the addition of financial pressures caused by the cost-of-living crisis, it is likely that this year’s winter season will be particularly demanding for early years providers and parents alike. 

As a result, this year’s Alliance Winter Toolkit includes a series of guides, posters and resources, which not only provide information on topics such as infection control and prevention, and winter safety guidance, but also advice on how to support families in poverty this winter.  

The Toolkit also includes posters and guidance for early years settings and services to share directly with parents, including information on childhood immunisations, free and low-cost winter activity ideas and guidance on how to reduce food costs over the winter months. 

The Winter Toolkit is free to download for members and non-members and can be found here:   

The full toolkit contains: 

Information for settings 

• Advice from the Child Poverty Action Group on how early years settings can support families in poverty this winter 

• Information for settings on supportive services for parents, including food banks and baby banks 

• Guidance for baby-and-toddler groups on offering a ‘warm’ space to families this winter 

• The Alliance’s emergency planning and response mini-guide, with an emergency evacuation plan template and a contingency plan checklist 

• Winter safety guidance for early years settings  

• A template MP letter calling for early years settings to be given energy cost support beyond the next six months. 

• Tips for supporting staff wellbeing in winter  

• A staffroom poster encouraging eligible staff to book their Covid-19 booster jab 

• Whatever the Weather outdoor activity guide for the colder months  

• The Alliance’s Infection prevention and control mini-guide  

• Guidance on supporting staff during the cost-of-living crisis 

Information to be shared with parents 

• Free and low-cost activities ideas for parents 

• Information for parents on reducing food costs this winter 

• A guide to children’s flu vaccines for parents and carers 

• Posters (in two alternative designs) encouraging parents and carers to book their child’s flu vaccine  

• A childhood vaccination schedule poster for parents and carers 

• A poster outlining the tax-free childcare scheme