Home Education and learning Early years and childcare 1001 Critical Days & Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE)

Coronavirus, early years and childcare

To prevent the spread of coronavirus and in order to follow government guidelines, families should only attend a Children’s centre if they have been invited to do so.

Childcare during coronavirus

If you are a key worker or you have a vulnerable child, you can apply for childcare

The department for education has clear information for childcare settings that remain open for key workers and vulnerable children.

Children's centres to remain open during lockdown

All 12 Children’s Centres in Tower Hamlets will remain open throughout lockdown for vulnerable children. Health and safety remains our top priority - for staff, families and the community. We have adapted our services to be ‘Covid-secure’ and we will continue to offer:

- Health appointments

- Early learning for two-years-olds

- Face-to-face support for vulnerable, and newly vulnerable, parents

We will be following the latest government guidance, which means our timetables and services are subject to change.

Please phone your local children’s centre before you visit to make an appointment and find out the latest information

Training sessions

We have resumed some first aid and safeguarding courses and adult education courses.

Thank you

We would like to express our gratitude to all early education and childcare settings and childminders who have continued throughout COVID to offer Tower Hamlets children a wonderful, safe, caring and stimulating time. Thank you!

1001 Critical Days & Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)

Childrens Centre Awards JB

The First 1001 Critical Days

This is the time between conception and age two. It is the period when brain development is at its peak growth period, with the brain creating connections at the rate of 1 million per second! It is also a time when large numbers of children experience adverse childhood experiences, which can impact on a baby’s social and emotional development, and how their brain develops. It is a crucial period for young children’s learning, especially language learning. This is so important for life chances, education and mental health that the that the Early Intervention Foundation recommends that we view language development as an indicator of well-being

A number of councils in England are beginning to develop cross service partnership work on adverse childhood experiences to plan how they intervene early before the ACEs occur.

Download the 1001 Critical Days report

Find out more

Adverse Childhood Experiences

A growing body of research is revealing the long-term impacts that experiences and events during childhood have on individuals’ life chances. Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) such as abuse, neglect and dysfunctional home environments have been shown to be associated with the development of a wide range of harmful behaviours including smoking, harmful alcohol use, drug use, risky sexual behaviour, violence and crime. They are also linked to diseases such as diabetes, mental illness, cancer and cardiovascular disease, and ultimately to premature mortality.