The Government is committed to delivering a Sure Start Children's Centre for every community by 2010.
The concept represents the government strategy to deliver better outcomes for children and families. It is based on the commitment to improve the co-ordination, quantity and quality of services fro young children. The belief that the joining up of services and disciplines such as education, care, family support and health is a key factor in determining good outcomes for children.
Rookery Children's Centre is now open and is located at the rear of the school site via Mount Pleasant Avenue offering the following:
- Good quality early learning combined with full day-care provision for children - Saplings: Holyhead Road is our linked Childcare provider.
- Good quality teacher input to lead the development of learning within the Children's Centre including Stay and Play five times per week, crèche 2 hours a day and a toy library which run alongside these sessions.
- Child and family health services, including weekly ante-natal and post-natal services delivered in the centre. Free Healthy Start vitamins available at the Centre.
- Family support services - Rookery has a team of family support workers offering support and advice including signposting to community services, housing and benefit advice, support with managing children's behaviour and parenting, referrals for childminding and home safety advice and equipment relationship breakdown, domestic violence.
- A base for a childminder network.
- Support for children and parents with special needs.
- Effective links with Jobcentre Plus to support parents/carers wishing to return to training or employment. JCP outreach takes place are at the Children's Centre and effective links have been established with e.g. Adult Education, WEA, Prospects and Pertemps to deliver a wide range of courses.
- Drop in Family Support every Friday. Come along with any questions and queries that we can help you with.
- Home Safety Advice and Equipment.
- Free Energy Saving Light Bulbs.
- Free Child Vitamin Drops.
- Free Vitamin Drops for Women during pregnancy.
Children Centres' working in close partnership with the Extended Service Clusters provides an exciting opportunity to shape current and future local integration and enhance links with other providers to strive together to significantly improve outcomes for children and families in the Handsworth and Handsworth Wood area.
More information coming soon...
