Trauma-Informed Practice in Early Education: Making a Lifetime’s Difference

Many young children arrive in our settings carrying past trauma. And all children will face challenges in their future lives. Trauma-informed practice helps us support them all by offering safe and responsive relationships and environments.

This book provides a clear, research-based framework for understanding what trauma feels like, how it affects behaviour and learning, and what this looks like in daily practice. It shows how early years educators can support recovery and resilience through everyday care, co-regulation, and practical strategies, and how joyful settings can be created even in the face of stressful or systemic challenges. With chapters on staff wellbeing and secondary trauma, this is a hopeful, hands-on guide.

Trauma-informed practice is not an extra – it’s high-quality early education adapted for everyone in the setting. This book shows how to do it well, for every child and adult. It is essential reading for all current and future early years educators, and those who train and support them.

James McTaggart is an educational psychologist with nearly 20 years’ specialist experience in early childhood and psychological trauma. A popular trainer and speaker, he has worked with many children, practitioners, and families facing challenges and as a survivor of childhood trauma himself is passionate about applying this learning to help change lives.