Kayla Halls presents ‘Exploring Quality Provision for Babies with Childminders’ as part of the Norland research webinar series

Kayla Halls, Research Fellow at Middlesex University, shares insights from a rapid evidence review exploring quality provision for babies in childminding settings.

Norland University of Early Childhood staff and students will welcome Kayla Halls, Research Fellow at Middlesex University, for a presentation as part of Norland’s research webinar series on Friday 9 October 2026. Kayla is currently working on the Nuffield Foundation-funded project, ‘Achieving high-quality provision for babies among childminders in England.’

Kayla began her career working in nurseries across both the United States and the UK, developing a particular passion for supporting babies and young children. Her research interests focus on the early years workforce, quality provision, and the experiences of children aged 0-2 years.

In this session, Kayla will present findings from a rapid evidence review undertaken as part of the project, exploring what existing research tells us about achieving high-quality provision for babies in home-based early years settings, particularly childminding.

The webinar will introduce the key questions that guided the review before examining the main themes emerging from the evidence. Drawing on a range of studies, Kayla will share examples that bring the findings to life, highlighting both current knowledge and areas where further research is needed.

Kayla will also reflect on the review process itself, discussing the challenges encountered, key decisions made and lessons learned. The session will conclude by considering the implications for research and practice, and how the evidence can help inform support for childminders and the families they work with.

Find out more about Kayla’s research in her latest papers:

Halls, K., Sakr, M., & Bonetti, S. (2026). Dialogical conceptualisations of quality provision for 0–2-year-olds: The perspectives of baby room educators and nursery leaders. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/14639491261478695

Halls, K., & Sakr, M. (2026). A Froebelian-inspired vision of professional learning in early childhood education and care. Journal of Early Childhood Research, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/1476718X251406875

Sakr, M., Bonetti, S., & Halls, K. (2026). Improving Baby Room Practice: Rethinking Early Childhood Qualifications for Educators Working with 0–2-Year-Olds in England. Early Childhood Education Journal, 54(6), 5225–5235. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-026-02220-w

Halls, K., & Sakr, M. (2025). Constructions of babyhood among baby room leaders in the UK. Journal of Early Childhood Research, 23(1), 18-30. https://doi.org/10.1177/1476718X241279348