CFC 9: Respecting and valuing children

CFC 9 focuses on respecting and valuing children as individuals and recognising that children have rights. The links on this page take you through each learning outcome: ways to value children, reasons children should be respected, communication that helps children feel valued, behaviour that shows respect, and organisations that promote children’s rights. This introduction helps you connect the ideas to everyday practice: respect is shown in what you say, what you do, and the choices you make.

Valuing children means seeing them as unique individuals with their own personalities, backgrounds, needs and ways of communicating. Children are not “just being difficult” when they struggle. They are learning how to manage feelings, relationships and routines. When adults respond with respect, children feel safer, more confident and more willing to learn. Respectful practice also supports safeguarding, because children are more likely to speak up when they trust adults.

This unit asks you to give ways to value children as individuals. This can include using the child’s name, listening attentively, acknowledging feelings, offering choices, and showing interest in the child’s ideas. It also includes respecting culture, language and family life, and adapting support for children with additional needs or disability so they can take part. Valuing children means noticing strengths too, not only focusing on what a child cannot do yet.

You will also state reasons why children need to be respected as individuals. Respect supports self-esteem, emotional security and positive behaviour. Children who feel heard and understood are more likely to cooperate and to try new things. Respect also supports fairness: when adults avoid assumptions and treat children consistently, children learn what to expect and feel safer in the setting.

Communication is a big part of respectful practice. You will identify ways to communicate with children so they feel valued. This includes getting down to their level, using a warm tone, giving time to respond, using simple clear language, and being careful not to label children (“naughty”, “lazy”, “bad”). Instead, adults can describe behaviour and guide: “Throwing hurts. Let’s find a safe way to show you’re angry.” Listening matters just as much as speaking.

This unit also asks you to outline behaviour that shows respect and value of children. Respectful behaviour can include being patient, being consistent, keeping promises, maintaining confidentiality where appropriate, and following safeguarding procedures. It also includes recognising children’s privacy in age-appropriate ways, such as helping them change clothing discreetly, knocking before entering toilets or changing areas (where appropriate in the setting), and handling personal information sensitively.

Children’s rights are included because children are not “mini adults” without a voice. Children have rights to be safe, to be cared for, to learn, to be treated fairly, and to be listened to. At Level 1, you are not expected to become an expert in children’s law, but you should understand that rights shape practice and that organisations exist to promote and protect those rights.

Here’s a practice example: in a nursery, a child refuses to join group time and becomes tearful. A respectful approach might include offering a small choice (“Would you like to sit next to me or on the cushion?”), acknowledging feelings (“You’re not ready yet”), and allowing the child to join gradually rather than forcing compliance. Another example: a child is repeatedly interrupted by louder children. Valuing the child might mean making space for their voice, asking for their opinion, and praising their effort to communicate.

Respect also means challenging unfairness. If a child is excluded or teased because of their accent, disability, clothing or family situation, adults respond calmly and clearly, support the child, and follow the setting’s policies. Children learn from adult responses. When adults take respect seriously, children begin to model it too.

As you work through the links on this page, keep your answers grounded in everyday early years routines and interactions. By the end of CFC 9, you should be able to describe practical ways to value children, explain why respect matters, identify respectful communication and behaviour, and list organisations that promote children’s rights. These foundations will support every other part of your work with children.

1. Know how to respect and value children as individuals

2. Understand ways to respect and value children

3. Know that children have rights

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