Sure start centres

[Bonkerz]

Not sure if this is the right place but I was wondering if people can tell me what their local sure start Center offers and if they access it. I'd also like to know what would be useful or beneficial in your area that could be offered by the sure start Center.

Let me explain. Firstly I'm not an employee of sure start. I am a parent with a sure start Center less than 5 minute walk from my door. It only offers one group I can access but only till my son starts to crawl, once he is crawling there is nothing else for us at the Center. It has been open for 3 years and does have a breast feeding group but the rest on offer is only accessible for young mums or referred parents (these tend to come from out of area and not local to the Center). The rooms are empty 75% of the time. With this in mind me and a friend requested to start a parent stay and play group. Me and my friend are both level 4 qualified early years nursery managers with first aid and safeguarding training and crb checked also but have been told No. So we have decided to seek the help of our community to start making our sure start Center work for us ( I am aware of cuts and everyone I have spoken to are prepared to pay for groups) I just really want to know what other centres offer. Thanks

4 stay and play sessions weekly
Pre nursery for those starting nursery next term
Baby club
Music and singing group
Special needs group
Baby massage
Weaning party
Weaning next steps.
Theatrebugs
Swimming
Holiday trips farm/cinema/theme park.

Childcare nvq2
Esol
Helping your child to read and write 4 week course
Helping your child with maths course
First aid
Nutrition course
Chatterbox

Buggy walking
Excercise class

Form filling help
Benefits advice session
Outreach sessions from dentist, health visitor etc

Antenatal class

Saturday dads club

There's more but this is what came to mind immediately

Surestart usually have governing bodies like schools?

Ours has
Childminders group
PND group
Bereaved parents group
0-5 group
Key fund
That's about it. Not used very much now as people got fed up of stuff being cancelled.

Fab thanks. Ours does not offer anything for childminders. The groups are split age wise which alienates parents of toddlers and babies. Currently there is no group for a baby who is crawling but not yet walking. this is the stage my 9 month old is at!

I work in one. We have:
Several stay and play sessions a week
Baby clinic
Baby group
Childminders' group
Foster carer's group

Occasional parent-run groups like Slingmeet

Courses like first aid, ESOL

Also have family support workers who work with referred families.

My local ones are a bit similar in there tended to only be one session a week at each that I could go to.
Stay and play for under ones
Stay and play/messy play for over-ones (both these you can take your other child to, but have to entertain them yourself)
Childminders group
ESOL group
Under-21 or similar age parents group
Dads group
Parenting classes - odd as they came round at over-ones asking what we wanted, but then you could only attend if invited by your HV/the SS worker
Computer classes with creche
Literacy class with creche

Actually one of them does also have a breastfeeding group weekly. But checking their websites they tell you they are closed during holidays but not what's on on any day - the only way to find out is to go there! Which I found incredibly annoying - you'd think updating the website or at the very least a poster outside would be feasible! And means the buildings are totally wasted between 12 and 2pm, and after 4pm, which is a shame.

We have a creche for toddlers during baby club and let babies under one or until they can walk, whichever is last, attend.

Ours used to be packed, with 3 stay and play sessions a week, one messy play, one young parents, a feeding support group, childminders group, dads group on saturdays, 0-toddling group, song and dance, music mayhem, cooking.

Now, there are more support type groups (young parents, SN children etc) one messy play and a couple of baby groups. No general stay and play, no song and dance, no cooking.

It used to be packed and is where most of my mum friends met, now I only know of one person who goes there, and that is because she has a son with SN.