Growing Little Minds

Growing Little Minds is a Parent infant relationship service (PAIRS) that supports parents in strengthening their bond with their baby. We work from pregnancy to your baby being 2 years old. We can work individually with you and your baby or with couples and with anyone who is a primary carer for a baby. We always include your baby with you in the work we do.

We recognise that families are unique, diverse and different and babies grow up in unique environments.

We work alongside other professionals like your Health visitor and/or midwife and you can request a referral to our service at any time up to the age of 2.

Challenges that can impact the parent-infant bond

We often think about having a baby as a joyful time for families. What is often not talked about are other more difficult thoughts and feelings that many parents can have when having their baby. Sometimes it might be that you feel that you haven’t formed the bond that you hoped for with your baby and this can cause a lot of worry, concern and sadness and you can feel isolate. But this is not uncommon.

These are many factors that can impact on your relationship with your baby, these are some of them:

A difficult pregnancy and/or birth

Losses – in other relationships whether that be with other babies/children or other relationships that are important to you

Experiences of trauma

Mental health difficulties of your own

A difficult relationship with your own parents

Difficulties in the relationship with your partner for whatever reason

We work with you in whatever difficulties you are having and tailor the support to meet you and your baby’s needs and goals.

Challenges can lead to a lot of fears and anxieties, that you can talk about with your Midwife or Health visitor or supporting professional. But it might be that when things feel stuck you feel you need further specialist support. This is where Growing Little Minds can offer support.

The Importance of Early Parent-Infant Relationships

The relationship between parents and infants is crucial in shaping a child’s future, well-being and development. Research has consistently shown that the quality of early relationships significantly impacts various aspects of a child’s life, including:

Emotional expression and regulation
Behaviour as a means of communication
Forming relationships with others
Cognitive development and learning

Learn More

Impact on Child Development

Emotional Development

The emotional bond formed between a parent and an infant, often referred to as attachment, lays the foundation for the child’s emotional development. Secure attachment is associated with positive outcomes such as increased self-esteem, better emotional regulation, and resilience in facing life’s challenges.

Social Skills

Early interactions with parents provide infants with essential social cues and help them learn how to communicate and interact with others. A nurturing relationship fosters the development of empathy, cooperation, and healthy relationships later in life.

Cognitive Development

Responsive caregiving and positive parent-infant interactions stimulate brain development in infants. These early experiences shape neural pathways that are crucial for learning, memory, problem-solving, and other cognitive functions.

Mental Health

Secure relationships in infancy have been linked to lower rates of anxiety, depression, and behavioural problems in later childhood and adolescence. On the contrary, disruptions in early relationships can lead to long-term emotional difficulties.

How can we help?

Meet the Team

Our team is made up of Specialist Health Visitors, Parent infant Psychotherapist/Child psychotherapists, a Dad Matters Coordinator and a neonatal nurse.

Through home visits and personalised support, the Growing Little Minds team aim to empower parents with support, knowledge, and necessary tools to create a loving and supportive environment for their infants. As a team, we really do care about the well-being of everyone we work with and understand the importance of a healthy foundation for both parents and children.

Referrals

Referrals into the team can be received from midwives, health visitors and any key worker where there has already been a discussion with the former.

Referral Form

Get in Touch

If you have any worries about the relationship you or your partner have with your baby and would be interested in our specialist support, speak with your health visitor, midwife, local family hub or GP about being referred to the Growing Little Minds team.

Alternatively, if you would like any more information or advice, you can contact us directly at:

growinglittleminds@locala.org.uk

Parent Resources

If you are a parent interested in learning more about babies’ social and emotional development, you may find the following websites useful:

Information for Parents - Parent-Infant Foundation

Association For Infant Mental Health | Getting to Know Your baby Videos

Institute of Health Visiting- Getting to know your baby

Mums: bonding with and getting to know your baby | Life as a parent articles & support | NCT

DadPad | Support for new dads

Online courses for emotional health and wellbeing (inourplace.co.uk)

You can also follow:

Family Hubs Calderdale

Growing Little Minds Calderdale

Dad Matters