CHILDRENS CENTRE

Sure Start brings together childcare, early education, health and family support services for families with children under 5 years old. It is the cornerstone of the Government’s drive to tackle child poverty and social exclusion working with parents-to-be, parents/carers and children to promote the physical, intellectual and social development of babies and young children so that they can flourish at home and when they get to school.

Sure Start brings together service providers – statutory providers like health, social services and early education, as well as voluntary, private and community organisations and parents themselves, to provide integrated services for young children and their families based on what local children need and parents want.

Sure Start Children’s Centres in the most disadvantaged areas will offer the following services:

·       good quality early learning combined with full day care provision for children (minimum 10 hours a   day, 5 days a week,48 weeks a year)

·       good quality teacher input to lead the development of learning within the centre

·       child and family health services, including ante-natal services

·       parental outreach

·       family support services

·       a base for a childminder network

·       support for children and parents with special needs, and

·       effective links with Jobcentre Plus to support parents/carers who wish to consider training or employment.

In more advantaged areas, although local authorities will have flexibility in which services they provide to meet local need, all Sure Start Children’s Centres will have to provide a minimum range of services including:

·       appropriate support and outreach services to parents/carers and children who have been identified as in need of them

·       information and advice to parents/carers on a range of subjects, including: local childcare, looking after babies and young children, local early years provision (childcare and early learning) education services for 3 & 4 year olds

·       support to childminders

·       drop-in sessions and other activities for children and carers at the centre

 Work is well under way with The Oakwood Childrens Centre at Parkview Primary School and it is for families with children under five (or expecting them!) in the local area. While based on the school site, it will be open all year round and available to all young families in the area, not just those with children at that school. It will open to families at the end of March 2010.
 
The centre will provide a one stop shop for services to give children the best start in life and support, advice and information to parents and carers, including family learning, child and family health services, family support and outreach, links to extended services for children of all ages, information about childcare and support and encouragement for parents and carers thinking about training and work.
 
There is a core offer of services that the centres must deliver and it is attached.
Not all centres provide all these services – for example Oakwood Children Centre will not provide Childcare because there is not enough space.
It will not necessarily be open 50 hours a week – it could be open 9am to 3pm on 5 days a week – or maybe a Saturday morning. These details are still to be agreed.
 
There is a Development group made up from Service Providers in place and this will become a Management Group after March 2010 and there will be a User Group set up for residents after March 2010 to help influence the services provided.
 
In addition there are proposals (not confirmed) to have an Open Day in Feb/March for residents to visit the building and give views/ideas from local residents about services planned.