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March 2026

Your March newsletter is your last official newsletter from 'Family Hubs Start for Life'. We are delighted to become 'Best Start in Life' and 'Best Start Family Hubs' from April.

But while we have a new logo, as we move forward you can still expect the same helpful news, support, information about free activities for families across the Bradford District, links to the FYI website, links to the Family Hub timetables and lots more. 

This month's newsletter covers a range of topics, from support for SEND (special educational needs and disabilities) to navigating screen time and the online world with children. You can also find out about some of the free stay and play / play and learn sessions happening around the district for 0 to 5s.

Please take a look at our newsletter and share with anyone who might find it useful.

News for families and colleagues

Moving on to Best Start in Life and Best Start Family Hubs

We are in the process of transforming to Best Start in Life and Best Start Family Hubs. We are working through the changes we need to make, so you will still see the old logos in some places. 

FYI pages updated  

On the FYI (Families and Young Person's Information) website, pages have been updated to 'Best Start in Life' and 'Best Start Family Hubs'. The great news for regular visitors is, any links you have saved to favourite pages will still work. You can explore the updated pages here: fyi.bradford.gov.uk/bsfh.

A further update about the logos is in the practitioners section below.  

National Year of Reading and World Book Night

Did you know that 2026 is the UK's National Year of Reading?

The National Year of Reading recognises that reading starts early and looks different for every family. Small moments, repeated again and again, are how children begin to connect with words, sounds and stories. No matter how small your child is, it’s never too early to start (even during pregnancy!).

And April holds a special date for the Year of Reading - World Book Night on Thursday, 23 April. Why not celebrate with a book at bedtime?

Here are some ideas about how to get more involved in reading:

• It's easy to enjoy books with Bradford District's libraries. There are thousands of books that can be borrowed for free - take one home to bring a new adventure to your child's bedtime! You can join for free online or call in at your nearest library. 
• Call in at your local family hub or look at the timetables to find out about free sessions for little ones that include books and stories, such as stay and play sessions.
• Some family hubs have additional library resources - including the Read and Rhyme room at Farcliffe Family Hub and the community-run TFD library at TFD Family Hub. Look at the Family Hub timetables to find out more. 
• Children also love hearing their favourite stories over again - charity shops are a great place to find second-hand children's books very cheaply. 
• For more ideas about how to enjoy books with your child, and tips about milestones, visit the Words for Life website. 

You can also find some great information on the FYI website:

• Fun with books for under 5s
• Fun with books for children and young adults

Next SEND Marketplace at Farcliffe Family Hub

Our Family Hubs across the district are hosting SEND Marketplace drop-in events every month throughout 2026.

The April SEND marketplace will be at Farcliffe Family Hub, 56 Toller Lane, Bradford, BD8 8QH, on Monday, 27 April, from 9.30am to 12.30pm.

Come along for advice, support and to discuss any concerns you have with specialist services including Carer's Resource, SENDIASS, Bradford district's Local Offer, the Family Hub's Family Navigators, and more.

There will be support available on themes that matter most to parents and carers, including Autism/ADHD, finance/benefits, speech and language, relationship issues, sleeping difficulties, and education. 

More dates from May:

• 18 May (2pm - 4.30pm) at TFD Family Hub
• 29 June (9.30am -11.30am) at Shipley Library
• 27 July (1pm - 3pm) at Barkerend Family Hub
• 24 August (9.30am - 12.30pm) at Farcliffe Family Hub
• 25 September (2pm - 4.30 pm) at Reevy Hill Family Hub

More information and all the dates are here: SEND support in Family Hubs.

SEND 'Life Admin' session for parents and carers this April

Paperwork can be tricky! Are you are parent of a child with SEND (special educational needs and disabilities), having trouble navigating some of the complicated admin that this can involve?

Come along to a friendly, parent‑led drop‑in session, at TFD Family Hub, for families with a child with SEND. This session will focus on helping you work through paperwork, forms and admin - with a free cuppa and a chat.

• No need to book, just turn up! 
• Support from a parent-volunteer with lived experience of the SEND system - help with paperwork e.g. EHCPs to school paperwork, benefits forms and more.
• Meet the Family Navigators, who can tell you what’s happening at the family hub and sign you up for a hub membership (free goodie bag for new members).
• Free use of laptops and printers for SEND forms.
• Free refreshments and children welcome!

This session will take place:

• Thursday, 16 April
• 12 noon to 2pm
• TFD Family Hub, Broadstone Way, Bradford BD4 9BU. 

Togetherness - here for Bradford District's families

Dealing with your child's 'big feelings'? Providing support for a child who is upset, sad, angry or anxious can leave parents and carers feeling uncertain and worried. 

Whether you're a mum, dad, carer, parent-to-be, grandparent or teenager, Togetherness (previously In Our Place) offers trusted online learning across a range of themes, providing support with relationships, emotional health, and parenting.

The learning focuses on supporting yourself and your family through reflection, understanding, connection and kindness, with practical advice backed by evidence and insight from NHS psychology experts.

The most popular 'pathways' include:

• Understanding your child’s feelings (a taster pathway)
• Understanding your child: from toddler to teenager
• Understanding your child with additional needs

The Togetherness website is completely FREE to use for everyone in the Bradford District, with the access code BDPARENTS.

There are 17 free courses on a range of themes, from parenting ideas you can trust, to support for your own relationships. The courses covers all stages of family life and parenting, from pregnancy to teens, and adults too.

Find out more on the Togetherness website. You can also find Togetherness on the parenting programmes pathway on the FYI website, where you can also explore other support that is available. 

If you want a more detailed chat to help you support your child, please contact or call in at one of our welcoming family hubs. 

Fantastic feedback for Rockwell Centre Stay and Play

Bradford East Family Hub recently connected with the Rockwell Centre (BD10) to run weekly Stay and Play sessions, facilitated by the Family Hub's family navigators.

The sessions have proved extremely popular, with fantastic feedback from parents and carers including:

• “My child love singing time and picking toys from “magic bag”, she now pretends to do this at home.”
• “We are taking our children to other activities together now, we become friends.”
• “After the session at Rockwell centre, we went for a walk to see the night sky and then made drawings of the night sky with paint pens and used a chalk board. We bought some glow in the dark stars.”

The Stay and Play session is at the Rockwell Centre, Summerfield Road, BD10 8DP, every Monday (during term time) from 9.15am to 11.15am.

The sessions are for all families in the local community, whether you're a mum, dad, carer, parent-to-be, or grandparent, with lots of fun for your little one. Come along to get out of the house, make special memories, keep the children entertained and it is also a great way to grab a tea or coffee and meet other parents and carers.

The Family Navigator can also introduce you to all the fantastic things we have going on for families in your area, And if you need any extra support, they are here to listen and recommend services that can help.

New Play and Learn at the TFD Centre - with Early Years Alliance

A new Play and Learn session recently launched at the TFD Centre, Broadstone Way, Bradford, BD4 9BU. Based in the welcoming library space, the session is for families with children aged 0 to 5 years.

Sessions are Wednesday mornings (term time only) from 9am to 10am.  

Come along with your little one for fun exploring and learning through play! Mums, dads, grandparents and all carers are welcome. 

Find out more

Find out about the Rockwell Centre Stay and Play, the TFD Play and Learn, and similar sessions at other Family Hubs around the district on the Family Hub timetables on the FYI website.

You can also keep up to date by following the Family Hubs on Facebook.

• Bradford East 
• Bradford West
• Bradford South
• Keighley/Shipley

Home-Start Bradford District now offers a telephone befriending service, which provides confidential one-to-one support over the telephone with a Home-Start Bradford District peer volunteer, who will help support with any parenting issues.

Volunteers can chat to mums, dads and carers about routines, boundaries, faddy eaters, getting nursery ready, family life, cost of living and much more:

• Parenting advice
• Information about other services
• Emotional support
• Reduce isolation
• Non-judgemental support

Contact

For more information and to request support, please phone a member of the Home-Start Bradford District team on 01274 666711.

Screen time - new advice and support for under 5s

Being a parent of a young child can be challenging. Screens are part of modern life - but knowing what's OK to watch, when to switch off, and what's best for you and your child can be confusing. 

Our own screen habits shape our children's, and little brains grow fast. How they spend their screen time matters - perhaps more than you might think.

Small changes can make a difference - swapping a video for reading a story from a book.

For simple, practical tips to help your under-5 build healthy habits from the start, visit Baby and toddler screen time guidance - Best Start in Life.

There is also helpful advice on the FYI website: Young children and screen time.

Survey for parents, carers and young people: 'Growing up in the online world'

• How much does your child go online?
• How does that compare with your own childhood?

To help parents, carers and young people have their say, we're promoting the national survey about 'Growing up in the online world'.

Find out more and have your say here:

• Growing up in the online world: a national consultation (national consultation home page)
• Survey for parents and carers of young people aged 21 and under
• Survey for children and young people (aged 10 to 21)

University research study seeking participants aged 3 to 5 years

Researchers at Sheffield Hallam University are looking for Bradford District families with children aged 3 to 5, to take part in a study exploring how young children use interactive electronic devices.

The aim of the research is to better understand the everyday contexts in which screen devices are used, focusing on the factors within family life that shape children’s screen time. Through this study, we hope to learn more about how device use fits into children’s daily routines.

What’s involved:

• A short 10‑minute questionnaire and interview with parents
• Video and audio recording of your child’s screen use while at home
• Families will receive £100 in vouchers after completing the interview
• Each child will receive a personalised book worth £50

The study is led by Dr Eleanor Craig, a Research Fellow specialising in children’s digital media use.

We are happy to meet at a time and place convenient for you to discuss the study further.

If you are interested, please follow this link: iKids - register interest.

Or contact us at iKidsResearch@SHU.ac.uk.

You can also find out more about the project here: Information for Parents – ikids.

Early education and childcare for families in the Bradford District

Families in Bradford district have access to a wide range of childcare options to help balance work, study, caring responsibilities and family life. Whether you have a baby, toddler, or school‑aged child, there are services and support available to make childcare more affordable and flexible. You might even be able to get help with childcare costs through Tax-Free Childcare, Universal Credit childcare support and other schemes.

Childcare offers include:

• Free childcare from 9 months (eligible working families)
• Terrific Twos funded places (for eligible families)
• Free childcare for all 3 and 4-year-olds
• Wraparound childcare for primary school-age children.

The Bradford Council’s Early Education and Childcare team are available to give you advice and further support. All the local information you need is on the FYI website, where you can explore the information for different ages and stages.  

Incredible Years pre-school for children age 3 to 4 - STILL TIME TO BOOK for April start

These sessions are ideal to help children get ready to start school reception - an important milestone in your child's life. The programme also explores all aspects of your child’s development at ages 3 to 4.

The programme, for mums, dads and carers with a child age 3 or 4, will be available from April 2026 at the following venues:

• Reevy Hill Family Hub, Bradford BD6 3ST - Tuesday, 14 April to Tuesday 14 July, 9:30am to 11:30am (Bradford South area) 
• Barkerend Family Hub, Bradford BD3 8QX - Wednesday, 15 April to Wednesday, 15 July, 12.30pm to 2.30pm (Bradford East area)
• St Edmund’s Nursery School, Bradford BD8 9QW - Thursday, 15 April to Thursday, 15 July, 9:30am to 11:30am (Bradford West area) 
• St Matthew’s Primary School, Bradford BD5 8FG - Thursday, 16 April to Thursday, 16 July, 12.30pm to 2.30pm (Bradford South area) 
• Victoria Primary School, Cartmel Road, BD21 2RD - Tuesday, 14 April to Tuesday, 14 July, 12.30pm to 2.30pm (Keighley and Shipley area)

The programme has 13 sessions. Sessions will not run in the school holidays (May 25 to 29). Families can attend any venue - whichever works best for you, for getting there or timing. The programme can offer support with transport, and a free crèche will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Parents who attended recent groups said they are now:

• Feeling calmer
• Spending more quality time with their child
• Using more praise
• Managing challenging situations more confidently
• Tackling toilet training, bedtimes, and mealtimes more effectively
• and experiencing many other positive changes

Please apply on the FYI website: Incredible Years form.

You can also call/email on 01274 513300 or email IY@barnardos.org.uk.

There is more information, including quotes from parents who have done the course, on the FYI website: Incredible Years Preschool.

School anxiety - 'emotionally based school avoidance'

• Is your child struggling to go to school due to feelings of worry or stress?
• Are you unsure about what to do?

Emotionally based school avoidance (EBSA), happens when children and young people have worries and difficulties attending school.

For helpful support in a safe space, you can join the friendly Parent Support Group with the Educational Psychology Team. Here you can:

• Share and listen to other parents
• Get ideas to help
• Learn more about what you can do to support your child, a
• Understand more about what you can expect from school

The groups will run for 4 sessions - you must be able to attend all 4.

The next groups are starting as follows:

• Online - Wednesday, 29 April to Wednesday 20 May, 1pm to 2.30pm.
• Reevy Hill Family Hub, BD6 3ST - Wednesday, 10 June to Wednesday, 1 July, 1pm to 2.30pm.

It doesn't matter where in the Bradford District you live - you may attend any group.

Book: by e-mailing EBSA@bradford.gov.uk or by calling 01274 439444.

Find out more on the FYI website - EBSA sessions. 

Information, news and training
for professionals and practitioners

Have your say about the draft Best Start Local Plan

In the Bradford District, we are ambitious for our children and families. We want every child to have the best possible start in life, because we know that the earliest years shape future health, learning, and life chances.

From April 2026, we are delighted that the Bradford District will receive Best Start in Life funding from the Department for Education. 

Best Start in Life will continue the work delivered under the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme, and will expand the focus to:

• support families during pregnancy and with children aged 0 to 5,
• help children along the stepping stones to access excellent early education, be ready to start school reception, and achieve a good level of development at the end of their time in reception.

We have published our draft Bradford District Best Start Local Plan, and will be pleased to hear your views and feedback.

The draft local plan, primarily aimed at our workforce, partnerships and stakeholders, is a short, 'high level' plan. Following this consultation, the local plan will also be followed up with a more detailed delivery plan and family-friendly information.

Anyone interested in the draft local plan, including parents, carers, volunteers, colleagues, partnership organisations and other stakeholders, is very welcome to take part and give feedback.

To find out more and look at the draft local plan, please take a look on FYI: Have your say - draft Best Start Local Plan. 

Best Start in Life - logo changes from April 2026

From April 2026 we have an updated logo for Family Hubs, and the introduction of the Best Start in Life logo across the Bradford District.

Many of our district-wide colleagues, partners and service providers may have questions about how this affects your services, whether you need to adopt new logos, and so on.

The new logos and guidance will be available on the FYI website soon, in the practitioners section. If you require the logos urgently, please contact josephine.graham@bradford.gov.uk or emma.richardson@bradfordcft.org.uk.

Better Start Bradford programme concludes, after 10 life-changing years

After a decade of delivering life‑changing support for families with children aged 0–3 in Bowling and Barkerend, Bradford Moor and Little Horton, Better Start Bradford has now concluded its ten‑year National Lottery‑funded programme - leaving behind a powerful and lasting legacy for the district. Their ten-year story and journey is now documented on their legacy website.

Over 2015–2025, the programme set out to improve diet and nutrition, social and emotional development, speech, language and communication, and drive meaningful system change for families with very young children.

Across ten years, Better Start Bradford has:

• Delivered more than 30 services and behaviour-change campaigns
• Reached over 40,000 parents, carers and their 0–3‑year‑olds
• Engaged over 11,000 children in speech, language and communication support
• Trained 8,000 early years practitioners
• Facilitated 6,568 hours of student nursing and midwifery placements
• Invested over £2 million into improving parks and green spaces - totalling 25 acres
• Delivered Baby Week Bradford for eight consecutive years
• Provided £260,000 of funding to support 170 parent‑led groups
• Worked with more than 300 volunteers

Although the delivery phase of Better Start Bradford has ended, its learning and evidence base will continue through Better Start – Better Futures: From Conception through Reception Evidence (CoRE) Partnership, which brings Bradford community members and system leaders together to embed best practice and create sustainable early years improvements.

Read the full news story here.

Family Hubs and Start for Life
useful information and contacts

Family Hub timetables - April 2026

Our Family Hub area timetables, on the FYI website, show the sessions and activities that are taking place for families in the coming month.

Some sessions will need booking in advance - please contact your Family Hub if you would like to book a place.

Our Family Hubs around the district

Follow us on Facebook You can follow the FYI service and all the Family Hubs on Facebook: Bradford East  Bradford West Bradford South Keighley/Shipley FYI - Families and Young Person's Information

Past issues of your Family Hubs Start for Life newsletter!

We hope you enjoy the monthly Family Hubs Start for Life newsletter. With over 5,000 subscribers, we think it's one of the best ways of keeping up to date with what’s happening for families across the Bradford District!

The great news is you can now catch up with the latest issues (and a full archive) on the FYI website. Visit the new newsletters page today and stay connected!

What's on guide - on FYI

The FYI (Families and Young Person's Information) website has a What's On guide, which is kept up-to-date with events around the district for families, children and young people.

There are various filters to help you search, including by date, post code, age group and event category.

You can also search by 'key word' to find what you are interested in - just use the 'Search' function while you are on the What's On page. 

Take a look and find out what's happening near you!

Why have I received this email?

You have received this email from Family Hubs and Start for Life because you previously subscribed to receive Family Hub Information from one or more of our Family Hubs: Keighley and Shipley, Bradford East, Bradford South and Bradford West.

Stay subscribed to make sure you don't miss out on any future updates! 

If you have been sent this email by someone else, you can sign up for future emails here: