Welcome to the June edition of our Family Hubs and Start for Life newsletter!
June is the month of the year with the longest daylight hours, and with this in mind we can now look forward to brighter evenings and extended time with loved ones. You might be starting to think about ways to keep your child entertained throughout the summer holidays so in this issue we will begin to share some useful ideas that you can use at home to get outside and spend time together.
Cheshire East Family Hubs
Cheshire East Family Hubs are a ‘one stop shop’ for families with children and young people aged 0-19 (or up to 25 for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities). We bring the very best of council, health, and community services together.
Our hub journey is broken down into three key steps; Start for life (0-5), Primary (5-11) and Young Persons (11-19).
We would love to meet you and your young family at one of our family play sessions which are free of charge and operate on a drop-in basis. Babies Together (0-1yr), Toddlers Together (1-3yrs), Stay and Play (0-5yrs) and our Little Stars group for children with additional needs. In the North this group is 0-5 term time and 0-11 in school holidays. In the South this group is 0-11 at all times.
If you are unable to visit one of Hubs, our new digital offer is the Family Hub ‘in your hand’. The website can be accessed via the link below and provides a wealth of information and is there to signpost families to the very best of services that are available in their locality. For families with older children our Young Persons offer includes support with money, social media, and mental health as well as coping with exam stress and healthy relationships.
We are excited to be developing our Primary Journey for parents of children ages 5-13yrs so please watch out for updates soon.
Special Educational Needs and Disabilities
Monks Coppenhall SEND Centre of Excellence
We host an array of drop-in and bookable sessions for families with children who have additional needs. For more information, please call 01270 371 240.
 
Book of the Month
1,2,3, SPLOSH! by David Melling
The book of the month for June is ‘1,2,3 Splosh by David Melling. This colourful board book allows you to encourage counting from 1-10 with your child as well as experimenting with different ‘splosh’ sounds. |
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Rhyme time
1,2,3,4,5, Once I Caught a Fish Alive!
1,2,3,4,5
Once I caught a fish alive!
6,7,8,9,10
Then I let it go again.
Why did you let it go?
Because it bit my finger so,
Which finger did it bite?
This little finger on my right!
Sensory Play
 Little ones love exploring their five senses through play. Why not try adding sliced fruit to a tray full of warm water and and allow them to feel, smell and taste all at once. This is great for their fine motor skills too! Remember to keep slices large enough to prevent them from becoming a choking hazard and stay with your child at all times.
Preschool Together
Now is the ideal time to start thinking about your pre-school child's transition to school in September. One of the ways you can support this move at home is to introduce them to their own name. If you have magnetic letters, pick out the letters from their name and show them how to press them down into playdoh. They don't need to speel it right straight away, but might begin to recognise the letters. You could also paint the letters and print them on to paper.
 There are so many of our 50 Things that can be enjoyed outside. Here is a few of our favourites –
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Visit the library - There are loads of fun and exciting activities going on in your local library. Sharing books together is a great way of bonding with your child and will help their learning and development.
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Walk along the Canal - Canals have been in use for hundreds of years! A long time ago they were a life line for distribution, now they are mainly used for country walks and narrow boats. They are a wonderful place to share some new experiences with your child. Your child could see a lock in use, count how many windows a narrow boat has, or even try and race a narrow boat that is travelling.
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Visit a Family Hub - Cheshire East Family Hubs host a range of Start for Life groups for you to attend with your children. To find out what's on in your local area, follow the links below.
Child Safety Week 2024
 Child Safety Week runs from 3-9 June 2024 and highlights the main dangers and safety risks to young children and the really practical and simple things we can all do keep children safe.
Infant Mental Health Week: 10th-16th June 2024
 Infant mental health is an often overlooked and misunderstood subject. Infant Mental Health Awareness Week provides an annual opportunity to discuss the importance of supporting babies’ mental health and wellbeing.
The Parent-Infant Foundation has set the theme and co-ordinated Infant Mental Health Awareness Week for eight years, during which time it has grown into a global event.
At least one in ten babies in the UK is living in fear and distress. These babies are scared and overwhelmed by disrupted relationships with their parent or main carer. Without help, these babies are more likely to develop mental health conditions in childhood.
This Infant Mental Health Awareness Week (10th-16th June) charities, politicians and experts are promising to ‘Speak up for babies’, to make sure babies are not forgotten.
Healthy Start
 If you’re more than 10 weeks pregnant or have a child under 4, you may be entitled to get help to buy healthy food and milk.
If you’re eligible, you’ll be sent a Healthy Start card with money on it that you can use in some UK shops. We’ll add your benefit onto this card every 4 weeks.
You can use your card to buy:
- plain liquid cow’s milk
- fresh, frozen, and tinned fruit and vegetables
- fresh, dried, and tinned pulses
- infant formula milk based on cow’s milk
You can also use your card to collect:
- Healthy Start vitamins – these support you during pregnancy and breastfeeding
- vitamin drops for babies and young children – these are suitable from birth to 4 years old
Are you thinking of becoming a childminder?
 If you are unable to drop by in person, please use the link below to find out more about our free online briefing sessions.
Common Approach to Children's Health
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