And as part of national Parents' Week (20–26 October), the County Council wants more parents and families to be aware of the services available to them.
Councillor Meg Stroude, the Council's Lead Member for Children and Families said: “For most parents, bringing up their children is the most rewarding thing they do. But rarely is it an easy job and being a parent can be extremely difficult. Most of us have needed advice, support or help at some stage and it's really important that parents understand that there is help out there for them.
“We provide a range of services for parents through our Children's Centres, through our schools, and through the service teams at the County Council. And if we can't help with a particular issue we will be able to direct people to an agency that can.”
The services provided by the County Council to help and support parents include:
- KITES, the County Council's family information service which provides a wide range of information for families and young people aged 0–20 including family support, childcare, and funding. KITES can be contacted on 01323 737294 or 0845 60 10 777. Read the latest KITES newsletter.
- Parentlink which offers confidential advice and support to parents about their child's education. This might be helping with questions relating to issues such as special educational needs, admissions, bullying, or changing schools. Parents can ring 01273 481172, text 07797 870320, or visit the Parentlink website.
- Through our network of 28 Children's Centres for parents of children aged 0–5. These provide a range of services depending on local need and parental choice. However, there is a wide range of advice and support available on subjects such as childcare and early years provision, health services, family support services, and employment advice. For more information and contact details for individual centres visit our Children's Centres pages.
A wide range of information and support is also available from various service teams at the County Council. For example, the Council's anti-bullying team recently produced and distributed to parents a leaflet about bullying and where they can go for help.
Schools can also provide parents with information on parenting groups available locally, or signpost them to other support in the local community.
Counicllor Stroude added: “I think it's probably fair to say that the challenges facing parents today are greater than they have ever been. And in 21st Century Britain I think it's also fair to say that the importance of good parenting has never been greater. The good thing is that there is plenty of support out there for those who need it.”
Reference:
2160
Contact the press team
