Pre-birth to three: Positive Outcomes for Scotland's Children andFamilies replaces the birth to three guidance and will be sent to allearly years settings in Scotland.
The resource, drawing on the latest research, includes examples of bestpractice filmed in early years settings across Scotland.
It is designed to support students and staff working with the youngestchildren and their families.
Launching the guidance, children's minister Adam Ingram said, 'Thematerials are groundbreaking in that they acknowledge the significanceof the period before birth in terms of influencing children's futureoutcomes. In recent years, there has been a wealth of research toindicate that the environment a child is exposed to, prior to birth andin the very early years, will have a massive impact on how they developcognitively, emotionally and socially.'
Mr Ingram said that this evidence has also influenced the development ofthe Early Years Framework and the social policy frameworks, AchievingWell and Achieving Our Potential.
He added, 'As the Pre-birth to three guidance makes clear, attachmentand attunement to parents and caregivers are particularly critical foryoung children.'
The four key principles underpinning the guidance are: the rights of thechild; relationships; responsive care; and respect. The guidance setsout nine features of these four principles in practice.
The new resource supports the principles and values of key Scottishgovernment policy, including the Early Years Framework and Curriculumfor Excellence.
It was designed by Learning and Teaching Scotland's early years team, incollaboration with the Scottish government, local authorities, earlyyears experts and academics, and NHS Scotland.
Bernard McLeary, chief executive of LTL, said, 'All practitionersworking with young children need to be aware of the importance of theirrole and the impact on children's lives, now and in the future.'
The pack includes the national guidance document, DVD, CD and poster.The interactive online version can be found athttp://www.ltscotland.org.uk/earlyyears/prebirthtothree/nationalguidance/index.asp and combines all the materials in thepack.