Children’s Centres

Family Action provides support to the most marginalised families in a flexible, non-stigmatising way. Evidence shows that the more vulnerable families are those least likely to visit centres for support. Family Action has extensive experience of reaching out successfully to marginalised families, often with complex problems including enduring mental health problems, learning disabilities, substance misuse and families recovering from domestic abuse.

We enable children to access play and learning activities provided through Children’s Centres. Children’s Centres can help to support a child’s transition into school, providing information, practical advice and support.

We also work with parents to support their child’s early learning (e.g. Parents as First Teachers (PAFT) and Newpin Play Programme).

We help families to access childminding services and with childminders themselves, to support and enhance their work.

We understand the importance of ensuring children are ready for school at age 5 and recognise that a child’s play and learning experiences in the early years has a major impact on their future life chances.

Working closely with early years teachers, both school and centre-based, we have developed a number of joint initiatives including transition groups for 2½ year olds and/or children who are already accessing Nursery Education Grant places.

We effectively use 2-year free entitlement places to target vulnerable 2-year olds to support access into nursery and school.

Family Action works with health service staff to ensure that child and family health services are easy to access. Working together with service users, the wider community and health service staff, we strive to ensure that appropriate provision is available. Ante natal and post natal services are particularly key and are provided in a range of creative ways to engage a broad range of families.

Family Action support parents to access work and the benefits this brings to the whole family. Practical support in accessing pre-employment training , applying for jobs and interviewing as well as advising on accessing affordable childcare are just some of the services we provide.

Young parents are often reluctant to attend support services. They can feel out numbered by older parents and feel marginalised or judged. We work to ensure that all services, including home visiting, are open to young parents and that they are encouraged and supported to join in.

Fathers play a critical, and increasing, role in the care and development of their children but often feel uncomfortable or marginalised in services more geared to the needs of mothers. We support fathers to set up and run groups on a range of issues and work with them so that they can access all services on offer.