Hi Everyone,
Tomorrow is gonna be a BIG day; with the tremendous help of Visitor Service staff we’ll be packing 100 boxes of materials to send out to Manchester families via our Sure Start partners in Hulme, Mosside, Clayton and the city centre wards.
Our partners have identified a need for provision for families with babies; since Covid-19, parents have not been able to access children’s centres to register new births. The initial registration appointment is usually where families are signposted to services and groups during the first year of their child’s life. This lack of early intervention and support has already led to increased referrals to the children’s centres. Face to face interactions are vital in building secure and supportive relationships between families and health and education providers. Sure Start managers are concerned that many parents of new babies are left feeling isolated and lonely which can lead to an increased risk of postnatal depression and poor mental health. Every parent knows how important the reassurance given in the early days of new parenthood is. At this time families are not only missing out on interactions with trained health and early education professionals, they are also missing out on interactions with other new parents.