The new Children’s Centre, situated in Dunbar Drive in Hailsham, provides a one-stop shop for children under five and their families, where they can get support, advice and information on a range of family issues.
Parents, carers and their children were invited to a celebration event, on Tuesday 26 February, at which Councillor Rupert Simmons, Lead Member for Learning and School Effectiveness, officially opened the County Council’s newest Children’s Centre.
Councillor Simmons said: “East Sussex County Council is highly committed to supporting young families and providing services that give local children the best possible start in life. I am delighted to be here at the Dunbar Children’s Centre, and have the chance to congratulate in person all the hard work of the team in providing such an excellent Children’s Centre for support and services to the local families in Hailsham.”
The Dunbar Children’s Centre provides a variety of services including an after school club, family outreach service, and courses for adults with co-ordinated creche facilities. Information boards and leaflets about these and other services were displayed at the open day for visiting parents and carers, whilst children had fun with a visiting circus entertainer.
Parents and carers met with staff from both the Children Centre’s management team, and with representatives from some of the many service providers who will be working at the new centre to provide a co-ordinated range of services to parents and children in the area. These included Book Start, the mobile Jobcentre Plus and KITES, the county council’s award-winning information service.
The opening event was an opportunity for parents and carers to find out about the Children’s Centre and the services on offer – and an opportunity for the Children’s Centre staff to find out from local parents what services they would find most useful and what can be done to ensure these services are easily accessible.
The new facility is part of the Children’s Centres programme for the Wealden area. Whilst the service at Dunbar Drive is developed, parents from the area can also benefit from the Children’s Centre services and activities going on at the nearby Hailsham East Children’s Centre.
Tina Pugh, manager of the new Children’s Centre said: “This centre will give such great support for local families and we are really excited about the opening. It will be a wonderful opportunity for the different service providers to network and for us to get some direct feedback from parents about what they really need.”
The Dunbar Children’s Centre is one of 22 Children’s Centres in place across the county and the county council’s plans are on target to provide a further six by Spring 2008.
For more information about Dunbar Children’s Centre, readers can contact Tina Pugh on 01323 444888 or see Dunbar Children's Centre – Hailsham.
Notes to editors
About Children’s Centres
The new Children’s Centre is part of the County Council’s expansion plans, which will mean that an additional 13,000 children will have access to health services, family support, early education services and childcare at one of the new Children’s Centres by 2010. There are now 22 Children’s Centres in East Sussex. Over £5m is being spent on improvements – ranging from brand new buildings to smaller adaptations or refurbishments to deliver a further six Centres by Spring 2008.
Each centre will provide `core’ services of childcare and early learning for young children, health services, family support, a base for childminders and help into employment for parents. Other services may include parenting courses, speech therapy, home visiting, parent and toddler groups and midwifery services – depending on the needs of the area.
The new locations were chosen following widespread consultation with schools, parents and carers. Discussions have also involved health services, voluntary and private organizations who will work with the centres to provide services.
Information about Children’s Centres in East Sussex is available in local libraries, the East Sussex County Council, and the centres themselves.
Communities that East Sussex County Council has so far provided Children’s Centre services to include: Rural Rother (Rye), East Hastings (Ore Valley), Bexhill, Hailsham, Shinewater in Eastbourne, Willingdon Trees in Eastbourne, Newhaven, Peacehaven, Hastings & St Leonards, Polegate, and St Leonards.
By 2010 every community in East Sussex will have access to Children’s Centre Services. If you would like to know more about the development of Children's Centres please contact the Early Years, Childcare and Extended Schools Service.
Reference:
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