Start for Life

Here you can find events available to children, young people and families living and working in the Square Mile. Link here: https://www.fis.cityoflondon.gov.uk/whats-on

You can find our 0 - 5 Services (Stay and Play, Rhyme times, Story times) on our City of London timetable which can be found here: City of London Timetable April-July 2025 (16.04.25)

Our Early Years Service Team is committed to support and strengthen you in your practice, so that children can have the best possible start in life and reach their full potential. On this platform, you will find updates and information about topics that are relevant to both practitioners and parents.

https://www.fis.cityoflondon.gov.uk/ey-send-hub/early-years-hub

https://www.fis.cityoflondon.gov.uk/education-and-schools/early-years-0-5-education

https://www.fis.cityoflondon.gov.uk/education-and-schools/education-mile-newsletter

https://www.fis.cityoflondon.gov.uk/coltale

There are podcasts with practitioners and start for life family services working with parents/carers and children in the early years - pre-birth to 5 years old. The EY Hub Podcasts are aimed to inform and advise parents/carers/childminders/nannies, practitioners and teachers in this critical period of a child's development.

https://www.fis.cityoflondon.gov.uk/ey-send-hub/early-years-hub/forums-and-training

•    Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library 

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is a book gifting programme devoted to inspiring a love of reading in the hearts of children everywhere. All you have to do is register!You can access newsletters at the bottom of the page with suggested extension activities. https://www.fis.cityoflondon.gov.uk/education-and-schools/early-years-0-5-education/dpil

•    Our Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities Resources Library is designed to be a comprehensive hub for families, practitioners. educators, and caregivers seeking guidance, tools, and support. Link here: https://www.fis.cityoflondon.gov.uk/ey-send-hub/send-hub/send-library

•    The Family Information Service posts a new Makaton video, Rhyme time and top tips for home learning weekly on social media - follow @Sqmilefamilies on Facebook, X and Instagram. The videos demonstrate three Makaton signs which link to the theme of our weekly Coltale's Top Tips videos released every Monday. You can watch them here: https://www.fis.cityoflondon.gov.uk/coltale/coltales-weekly-top-tipshttps://www.fis.cityoflondon.gov.uk/ey-send-hub/send-hub/send-library

•    Our Early language and the Home Learning Environment: The Coltale Programme can be found here: https://www.fis.cityoflondon.gov.uk/coltale

Parents and carers can click on the link Coltale's Adventures for fun ideas to support your child's home learning. Visit: https://www.fis.cityoflondon.gov.uk/coltale

A framework of learning, development and care for children from birth to 5 years old.

https://www.fis.cityoflondon.gov.uk/ey-send-hub/early-years-hub

https://www.fis.cityoflondon.gov.uk/education-and-schools/early-years-0-5-education

If you are a new and expecting mother and you need advice on pregnancy, babies, healthy child development, childcare and early education, visit the NHS Start for Life website.

These pages aim to offer helpful information and resources to support children and young people's health and wellbeing: https://www.fis.cityoflondon.gov.uk/children-and-families/health-and-wellbeing

https://www.fis.cityoflondon.gov.uk/coltale

Find out about your child's brain development and how they come to understand the world! https://www.bbc.co.uk/tiny-happy-people/science-and-facts

For information about Health visiting and Baby Clinic go to: Maternal health - City of London Family Information Service Once on that page click on the Health Visiting Service - City and Hackney tab.

For information on healthy child reviews (including Integrated Reviews) visit: Help for early years providers : Integrated reviews

Every parent deserves support, reassurance and a friendly voice to turn to during pregnancy and the early days of parenthood. That’s why we offer a Peer Supporter service in City & Hackney, providing emotional and practical support to new and expectant parents.

Visit our webpage here: https://www.fis.cityoflondon.gov.uk/children-and-families/health-and-wellbeing/child-health-and-development

For information about Maternal Health which encompasses the health of women during pre-pregnancy, pregnancy, pre-natal, childbirth, the postpartum period and postnatal care visit: Maternal health - City of London Family Information Service 

City and Hackney Perinatal Mental Health Services
The Perinatal Service and Mother and Baby Unit is an Adult Mental Health Service working with women who have moderate to severe mental health difficulties in pregnancy or within the first year after childbirth. The mental-health difficulty may be pre-existing, have started during pregnancy or started after childbirth.

Members of the team have different professional backgrounds including; nursing, psychology, and medicine. This experienced and diverse team has particular experience in the care and treatment of women from diverse cultures. A range of opportunities to engage mothers, infants and families in the process of recovery are offered. If there is a previous, current or family history of mental health difficulties, a woman can agree to a referral to this service.

Tel: 020 8510 8151 and 020 8510 8552

Website: https://www.elft.nhs.uk/services/perinatal-service-city-hackney

Address:
City and Hackney Centre for Mental Health
Perinatal Mental Health Service
Homerton Row
Hackney

The Lullaby Trust's safer sleep advice gives simple steps for how you can sleep your baby to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) which is commonly known as cot death. It can give you the peace of mind to enjoy this special time. Their advice is based on strong scientific evidence and should be followed for all sleep periods, not just at night.

If you have any questions about SIDS or safer sleep, please call our information line on 0808 802 6869 (lines open Monday-Friday 10am-5pm). Visit our website: https://www.lullabytrust.org.uk/

For more information for other carers, such as grandparents, aunts, uncles or further families members, follow this link: Information for other carers - The Lullaby Trust

Coping with the trauma of sudden bereavement
For advice on how to cope with the trauma of sudden bereavement, see this document which you can download here or in the downloads section below.

To find information on how to support Infant feeding visit: 

https://www.fis.cityoflondon.gov.uk/children-and-families/health-and-wellbeing

https://padlet.com/HomertonInfantFeeding/homerton-infant-feeding-7pikccbjkojye76t

Breast feeding mothers can also access support with any feeding issues they may have by emailing: huh-tr.homertonbreastfeedingsupport@nhs.net

Weaning and baby foods: What can my baby eat and when? https://www.bbc.co.uk/tiny-happy-people/articles/z4xfpg8

Children and their families sometimes require support when things are not going as well as they could be. The City of London’s Early Help team works alongside children and their families to make positive changes to people’s lives, supporting them so they can access relevant services to prevent any difficulties from worsening.

For more information visit: https://www.fis.cityoflondon.gov.uk/send-local-offer/early-help-service

HENRY provides a wide range of support for families from pregnancy to age 12 including workshops, programmes, resources and online help.

Visit HENRY here: HENRY in City & Hackney | HENRY

You can find more information here: https://www.fis.cityoflondon.gov.uk/children-and-families/health-and-wellbeing

Pregnant women, new mums and children up to 4 years can all get free Healthy Start
Vitamins.

Healthy Start Vitamins contain all the essential vitamins that our body needs for healthy growth and maintaining a good immune system during pregnancy, post birth and in the early years.

Healthy Start Vitamins are suitable for Vegetarian, Kosher and Halal diets, and are free from milk, egg, gluten, soya and peanut residue. Healthy Start Vitamins are suitable from birth.

Visit the HENRY website for registration.

Healthy Start is a means-tested scheme that provides pregnant women and mothers of children under four years with free vouchers to spend on milk, fresh and frozen fruit, vegetables, infant formula and vitamins.

To qualify for Healthy Start you must be at least 10 weeks pregnant or have a child under four years old and you or your family must have an annual family income of £16,190 or less (2013/14) and receive any of these benefits:
• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Child Tax Credit (but not Working Tax Credit unless your family is receiving Working Tax Credit run-on only*).

You also qualify if you are under 18 and pregnant, even if you don’t get any of the above benefits or tax credits.

*Working Tax Credit run-on is the Working Tax Credit you receive in the four weeks immediately after you have stopped working for 16 hours or more per week.

Visit the Healthy Start NHS website.

Useful oral health ideas for parents, children, adults, carers and professionals. They include 'Healthy teeth tips for your child’, Supporting your Child’s teeth for parents of children with SEND and ideas for providers to promote oral health in the Early Years Provision.

Visit our webpage: https://www.fis.cityoflondon.gov.uk/children-and-families/health-and-wellbeing/child-health-and-development

Listen to our Early Years podcast with Kim Chambers – Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust - discussing supporting your children with tooth brushing with a focus on SEND: City of London EY Podcasts, Kim Chambers, Oral Health Practitioner - Oral Health for SEND Children

Sing along with The Toothbrush Song from Hey Duggee: https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/watch/tooth-brushing-badge-song

Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust provides maternity care for nearly 6000 women and their babies each year during pregnancy, labour, birth and up until one month after birth.

To find more information visit our Maternal Health webpage and click on the Maternity Services tab.

Or visit the Homerton Healthcare Maternity service website: Maternity services | Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust