from Guisborough RBL Boost of £2.6 million for Family Hubs and Start for Life programmes across the borough

Families across the borough will receive extra support thanks to a major funding boost.

The Council is one of 75 local authorities across the country to receive Government funding for Family Hubs which provide support to parents and carers of children and young people aged to 19.

The funding will help transform and improve both the range and availability of services at existing family hubs - including health visiting and maternity services.

A new ‘Start for Life’ Offer is also being developed which will provide parents and prospective parents with a guide about what to expect through the first 1001 days of a child’s life, from the antenatal period through to aged two years. Other support for new parents of children aged two and under will include help with infant-parent relationships, mental health, parenting and support for infant feeding. There is also a separate focus on supporting children aged three and four years who were born at the height of the pandemic who may need extra support with their communication and language development.

The vision is for Family Hubs to become the first port of call for Early Help services, where a parent or carer can drop in and either receive or be signposted to the services on offer to support them and their child.

Councillor Alison Barnes, Cabinet Member for Children, said: “This is excellent news for our families right across our borough. All our children and young people deserve support right through their childhoods and this will help us deliver a better service for them. We all know that the first months and years of a child’s development are absolutely crucial and the focus on that period and giving them the best start in life will have a positive effect on our children for the rest of their lives.”

For anyone who would like to know more about what family hubs currently offer, please contact your local family hub, details can be found on https://www.redcarcleveland.gov.uk/children-and-familiesservices/family-hubs.

By Brian Gent - Chairman Guisborough RBL

RBL

and Officers who supervised the Cadets whilst collecting in various locations in the town. This fantastic amount increases on their total for 2021.