Our Position on Physical Touch and Contact with Children

Our position on touch is that the adults (men and women) responsible for children in ECE should not be restricted from engaging in positive, nurturing touch with children. 

Such touch includes picking a child up after falling over or lifting a child to a safer place, providing a cuddle or accepting a cuddle from a child, allowing a child to sit on their lap while for example reading a story, and holding hands with children when walking together.  Note that touch must be responsive to each child individually, and be mindful of cultural values (e.g. in some cultures patting the head is taboo.