Children's Centres in Solihull

Supporting children and families in Solihull

We all want to provide the best start in life for our children. We hope that they will grow up to reach their full potential.

In Solihull, to help them achieve this, we are opening a number of Children's Centres to enable families with young children to access a wide range of services.

Children’s Centres belong to and are shaped by their communities, offering high quality services for the benefit of children and families.

Each Sure Start Children’s Centre will be based in the local community, building on services that already exist. Over the coming months eight Children's Centres will be opening across the Borough in phase two, joining the three Children’s Centres already opened in North Solihull.

 

There’s so much more to Children’s Centres than you might think! They will be shaped by the needs of their local community so may offer or have links with…

Child and family health services:

• Antenatal advice and support for parents
• Information and guidance on breast feeding, hygiene, nutrition and safety
• Help and advice for those suffering from maternal depression, antenatally and post-natally Speech and language and other specialist support
• Specialist services for children with disabilities.

Family support and parental outreach: 

• Visits to all children in the Children’s Centre area within two months of birth
• Parenting support and information
• Information and advice on parenting skills
• Support groups to help parents and carers understand their child’s development
• Encouragement and support for parents who wish to consider training and employment

Childcare and Schools:

• Day care and early years provision for babies and children until they reach school age
• Day care suitable for working parents, 5 days a week, 48 weeks a year, 10 hours a day
• Nursery places will be open to all, not just families in the immediate area, to give children the best start in life (admission and fee policies will be set locally)
• Support for childminders, who offer flexible hours care
• Support for children with additional needs and disabilities along with guidance for their families
• Extended schools, out of school activities, holiday play schemes, before/after school care and wrap around provision.

Children's Information Service (CIS): 

• Information on local services for families.
• Information about specialist services for children with disabilities
• Benefits advice, including maternity benefits
• Childcare and information about other services for older children
• Signposting to further and higher education institutions, and local training providers.

Links with Jobcentre Plus: 

• Support for parents on accessing training, work, advice and information as well as a range of other services
• Additional training for parents, for example English as an additional language, literacy and numeracy, basic skills, or parenting classes

Children's Centres can be found in:

• Chelmsley Wood
• Kingshurst
• Smithswood

Opening in 2006 - 2008

• Fordbridge
• Marston Green
• Lyndon
• Castle Bromwich
• Rural
• Shirley South
• Shirley West

For further information contact:

Solihull Early Years and Childcare Service
Keepers Lodge
Chelmsley Road
Chelmsley Wood
Solihull
B37 7RS

Tel: 0800 389 8667
Email: childrensinfo@solihull.gov.uk
Web: http://www.childcarelink.gov.uk/
Web: http://www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/