What is a Children's Centre?
East Riding Children’s Centres are here for the whole family; from the moment they know they are expecting a baby, and until the child or the child being cared for is nine years of age. The East Riding has 18 Children’s Centres that offer a range of activities and services for children and their families, to give every child the best start in life. We offer the right help at the right time so that our families feel confident, safe, healthy and happy.
The Children's Centre core purposes are:
- child development and school readiness
- parenting aspirations and parenting skills
- child and family health and life chances.
Who are Children’s Centres for?
The Children’s Centres are open to anyone living in the East Riding who is pregnant or who is caring for a young child. This could be a mum, dad, carer, grandparent, foster carer or child minder.
What do Children’s Centres offer?
East Riding Children’s Centres have developed a complete range of activities and services for young children, their families, carers and pregnant women to meet the individual needs of each centres community. All the services the centres provide are free. The services are inclusive for children and parents with additional needs. We work closely with health professionals, nurseries, schools and other agencies and services to provide a wide range of support.
One-to-one support
Children’s Centres have experienced, qualified and friendly staff who provide support to families in different ways. We offer tailored support through our family support work, which can be done 1-1 in the family home or during sessions at one of our Children’s Centres.
Talk Time
Talk Time is a targeted intervention through play for children aged 2-4 with delayed communication and language skills. Support is provided to parents and carers to play alongside their children and to give them opportunities to learn techniques to support their child’s communication and language skills in the home learning environment.
Supporting your child with special educational needs and disabilities
Children’s Centres are there to support you from the very start of your child’s life. They can direct you to specialised support for your child with special educational needs and disabilities. They offer links with health professionals and inclusive services for those with even the most complex and challenging needs. Children’s Centres liaise with Schools and Nurseries and they work closely with Inclusion Services and make referrals to Early Years Support where appropriate.
Sensory rooms
Many of the Children’s Centres in the East Riding of Yorkshire have sensory rooms equipped with a range of light, acoustic and tactile interactive equipment available for families to use free of charge, offering a safe place for children to explore and develop in a stimulating yet calming atmosphere.
In their journey we can help families with:
Support during pregnancy | Toilet training |
Becoming a new parent and developing parenting skills | Child development in line with the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework |
Breastfeeding | Healthy lifestyles |
Understanding babies' cues | Promoting positive emotional well-being |
Supporting bonding and attachment | Safe sleep |
Baby-led weaning | Establishing daily household routines |
Families can access Children's Centre activities, resources and sessions such as:
Antenatal parent education | Child health clinics |
Infant massage | Feeding information and advice |
Early play and learning sessions | Family links nurturing programme |
Home learning opportunities including Bookstart and bags of support | Talk Time - Supporting your child’s communication/language development |
The sensory room | Take and make |
Advice and Support is also given around:
Help to access 2, 3 and 4-year-funded childcare places | Benefits |
Budgeting | Housing |
Form filling and attending appointments | Support with further education |
Where to go for specialist advice and support, for example, speech and language specialist, domestic abuse, alcohol and drug misuse and mental health issues | |
Contacting your local Children's Centre
You can simply call in to your local Children's Centre for support and advice, or visit the link below:
Further information, addresses and contact details for your local Children's Centre (external council website)