 It's Children's Mental Health Week
With everything going on currently it's more important than ever that we raise awareness of looking after children's mental health, which is why we're proud to support Children's Mental Health Week.
HRH The Duchess of Cambridge recorded a video message marking the start of the week, and this year’s theme is Express Yourself, with many activities for children to get involved in.
Children's mental health charity Place2Be is encouraging children to express themselves by doing something fun. From painting, writing or music, it's all about doing something to help your kids feel good. Their free resources will help children and young people to explore what it means to Express Yourself. All of the ideas can be adapted for use in school, for home-schooling, online lessons or independent learning.
If you're concerned about the mental health of a young person aged 11 to 25 years old, why not check out Kooth? It's an online mental wellbeing community that offers free and confidential mental health support to young people in Devon. Kooth has unveiled its “Don’t Do It Alone” campaign, designed to encourage open conversations around mental health so children and young people know they are not alone with their struggles.
 Apply for February half term holiday Free School Meals
(before Friday 5 February!)
More than 15,000 children across Devon will be receiving food vouchers over half-term as Devon County Council combats holiday hunger.
Families of children currently receiving free school meals will automatically be sent supermarket vouchers to help them buy food over the week-long holiday to replace the meals their child would have received during term-time. The vouchers – worth £15 a week for each child – can be redeemed in major supermarkets across Devon. Arrangements are in place for families who cannot get to a supermarket.
Many families in Devon have seen their financial circumstances change due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. If you didn’t previously qualify for free school meals but your income has recently reduced or stopped, please apply online our website to check if you are eligible for this support as soon as possible, and before Friday 5 February in order to receive the holiday vouchers for the February half term holiday.
More information about the free school meals holiday voucher scheme is available on our website.
Click to watch Alison (YouTube link)
You can adopt
Especially during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, there are still children out there who are waiting for their new family. Our social workers are ensuring children are safe and processes are not slowing down, if fact there are more opportunities to meet online without the need to travel. So, if you’re thinking of adopting please do get in touch with our friendly team.
Alison Barker, Assessment Team Manger at Adopt South West, explains the first steps of the adoption process in this short clip.
Kath Drescher, our Adopt South West Service Manager says:
"If you are considering adoption, we want to hear from you. We are holding online information events; there are videos to watch; books to read towards getting you to be in a good place and be ready to adopt. There are many areas of the assessment that we can do virtually. Even if the lockdown means the time isn’t right for you then we still want to talk.”
Visit Adopt South West website, call 0345 155 1076 or email adoptsouthwest@devon.gov.uk.
Whether you use childcare or not, your voice counts. The answers you give in this short survey will help our early years and childcare team to plan and make sure there is enough childcare for you to work or train.
This data is being collected to assess the need for childcare and will be used with information from childcare providers to determine the sufficiency of childcare provision in Devon.
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