Croydon has set out how it will support families during pregnancy and early childhood to give all children in its area the best possible start in their first five years of life.
The borough’s new Croydon Partnership Early Years Strategy aims to provide the 32,000 local children aged under five with the right support at the earliest stage.
The strategy will improve on what is already offered to families with young children, providing co-ordinated support to meet parents and children’s needs.
Early years services in Croydon will work together to make it easier for families to know what support is available and how to access them, such as children’s centres, GP surgeries and safe places for those facing challenging or difficult circumstances.
Parents and carers will be encouraged to take up parenting programmes to support their child’s development and will also be directed to specialist help more quickly when required, such as disability services and specialist education offerings. There will also be more assistance for parents and carers with newborn babies at home or those requiring breastfeeding support.
The strategy has been developed in collaboration and consultation with parents and carers, and the Early Years Partnership consisting of Croydon Council, Public Health, Croydon’s Integrated Care System, early year’s practitioners, schools, and wider partners.
“We want to ensure each child in Croydon gets the best start in life – in safe, healthy, and happy environments. With the largest population of children and young people in London, identifying issues early and providing appropriate support is essential for reducing inequalities in our borough.
“I am pleased that the Croydon Partnership Early Years Strategy has been developed in collaboration with parents and carers, health partners, schools and early year’s professionals, providing a great example of the kind of collaborative approach we expect to see – involving residents in the design of services which affect them.”
Jason Perry, Executive Mayor of Croydon
