Welcome to the November edition of our Family Hubs and Start for Life newsletter!
Spotlight On...
The Start For Life Service
 The Start For Life Journey will support you from pregnancy until your child starts school. With a mixture of sessions from stay and plays in your Family Hub / Children’s Centre to your Health Visitor coming to visit you. It is a fun way for you to learn more about your baby's / child’s development, speak to health and childcare professionals along with a chance to meet other parents.
Babies Together
 At Babies Together we welcome all children aged 0-walking. With a focus on sensory play and maternal emotional health and wellbeing, our start for life practitioners are there to support you. From making new mum friends to learning about feeding, weaning, safe sleep and more, Babies Together is a wonderful place to relax with parents with babies the same ages as yours and share your journey together.
Stay and Play
 Our Stay and Play groups are for children aged 0-5. These are a wonderful place for pre-school children to socialise, explore messy play, get outdoors and for parents to seek advice and guidance from our Start for Life team. These groups are also inclusive for children with additional needs. There is no need to book, please just turn up and play!
To find out when and where your local Stay and Play is, please use the link below.
Little Stars
 Little Stars is our universal group for children aged 0-4 who have additional needs. These groups are a welcoming and open space for both parents and children to meet families with similar needs to their own whilst accessing advice and guidance from our the start for life service.
Home Learning
What is Home Learning?
Sometimes children need some extra help to make progress in their learning and development. Home Learning is delivered in the home by a Start for Life practitioner. The Start for Life Practitioner will create a plan with the parent/carers that is tailored to offer the best support for the individual child. Start for life Portage practitioners are based in your local Family Hub’s and children’s centres and have specialist training, knowledge, and experience to deliver a home learning plan which aims to support children's development. The home learning plan looks at the child and family as a whole and will help to explore positive routines and provide hands on fun and practical activities in the home. These will be everyday activities that you can continue to do with your child/children to help them to learn through play.
We support families to access groups in the local community where appropriate.
The Home learning plan is delivered over 8 weeks. An allocated Start for Life Portage Practitioner will find the best times and days that work best for the family.
What does the home learning plan help with?
The home learning plan will have a different focus of support each week tailored around the child’s needs. These areas will be linked to the Early Years Foundation Stage:
• Communication and Language
• Personal, Social and Emotional
• Physical Development
We will also look at support for parents, sensory play, routines and explore support services available through the local offer.
If you are a parent/carer and feel home learning would be beneficial to you, please contact your local Family hub and ask to speak to a Start for Life Portage Practitioner.
Supporting Parents and Children Emotionally
North
 South
Cheshire East Family Hubs launches FREE online workshops for families!
 Cheshire East Family Hubs is excited to announce the official launch of its recent partnership with the Solihull Approach; trusted NHS provider of online courses focused on children's emotional health and wellbeing. Through this collaboration, Cheshire East Family Hubs funds a multi-user license, enabling all residents within the council's area to access a comprehensive range of online courses on www.inourplace.co.uk at no cost.
Cheshire East Family Hubs recognises the importance of nurturing emotionally resilient and socially aware children within its community.
Key highlights of the Inourplace online courses include:
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Understanding your child's emotional health and brain development: Parents will gain insights into the science behind their child's brain development, helping them make informed decisions that support healthy cognitive growth.
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Reading your child's behaviours: These courses will provide parents with tools to interpret and respond effectively to their child's behaviours, fostering positive interactions and reducing stress for both parents and children.
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Developing communication: Parents will learn strategies for open and effective communication that will strengthen the parent-child bond and promote emotional well-being.
UNICEF UK's Baby Friendly Initiative Accreditation
Do you have a baby born after 1st June 2024?
 Cheshire East Family Hubs would like your help to gain the UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative Accreditation. We need families with babies born since 1st June 2024 to complete a short questionnaire in person or over the phone around the help and support you have received when feeding you baby. If you would like to help us and take part please contact your local Family Hub or speak to a member of staff on your next visit.
Primary School Admissions 2025
Applications now open
 Applications are now open for children starting primary school. If you are a parent, with a child born between 1st September 2020 and 31st August 2021, your child will be due to start primary school in September 2025. Parents are strongly advised to apply for three preferences.
Applications must be submitted to the child’s home local authority by:
- 15 January 2025 for pupils starting primary in September 2025.
Parents still need to apply even if the child has a brother or sister already at the school or the child is attending a nursery/preschool attached to the school. Some faith schools may also require parents and carers to submit a supplementary information form/confirmation of baptism. Further information about this will be available on the school’s website.
Parents should consider how their child will travel to school when making preferences. Parents can find out about school transport at Free and subsidised school transport (cheshireeast.gov.uk)
To apply online and for further information please go to Application process for starting school in September (cheshireeast.gov.uk) or call 0300 123 5012.
For up to date information please direct parents to follow our twitter @CE_Admissions and follow The Family Information Service – @FISCheshireEast or Family Information Service (Cheshire East Council) - Home | Facebook
Special Educational Needs and Disabilities
  Save the date for the next South Marketplace Event: Tuesday 17th December 4pm-6pm
Speech and Language Therapy
Talking Walk In
Young Person's Journey
Planning Your Future Event
 
Book of the Month
The Invisible by Tom Percival
 This lovely tale shines a light on the people who feel invisible in our world - and shows us that we all belong.
 If your child has recently started school you may be feeling a little unsure of where to turn to for help and support. Even though your child is now attending school, Cheshire East Family Hubs are here to support you, as well as the 0-19 Contact Hub who provide:
- Health Visiting
- Infant Feeding – Cherubs
- School Nursing
- Family Nurse Partnership (FNP)
- Immunisation and screening
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
Common Approach to Children's Health
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