Family Support & Advice
Meals with babies and toddlers – ideas and advice for families
BBC’s Tiny Happy People have added some mealtime ideas and resources for families onto their website. This includes baby and child-friendly recipes that families can make together, advice on weaning, information on ultra-processed foods and tips for fussy eating:
Tiny Happy People - Tips and Advice for Mealtime with babies and toddlers (bbc.co.uk)
Resources for Parents/Carers
Immunisations for 2-3 Year Olds
As you will be aware, the vaccination programme is underway for pre-school children. Children aged 2 and 3 years old (on 31 August before flu vaccination starts in the autumn) are eligible for a free flu vaccine given as a nasal spray.
Please help to promote awareness among your families. A leaflet for early years providers giving information about the programme is available and it includes details about how to order free resources to display or give to parents including translations in multiple languages.
Parent Information on Flu Imminisations
Warm Home Grants
There are lots of schemes available to help reduce energy bills and make homes more energy efficient, some offer free upgrades if eligible:
There are other schemes available, more details can be found on the warm home grant pages of our website. Look out for more information at our staff induction events too. Expression of interest form to check your eligibility for a warm home grant or update - HUG2 Expression of Interest Form: Cumberland (office.com) |
Free Vitamins
Cumberland Council is offering free vitamins to help families get the healthiest possible start in life.
The supplements - available to all young children and pregnant and new mothers in Cumberland - provide important nutrients to support growth and development.
They are available to:
- Pregnant mothers
- Those who are breastfeeding or combined feeding (breastfeeding and formula) a baby up to the age of six months
- All children up to the age of two
- Children up to the age of four where the household is eligible for a Healthy Start digital card
Find out more here
We are sure you are aware of the amazing resources that the BBC have developed as part of their Tiny Happy People programme. Please see below for online training which is an opportunity for ANYONE who works with families and children under 5 to find out more about the resources and how they can use them. Using Tiny Happy people to Support the Home Learning Environment NW Mon, 23 Oct 2023, 14:00- 15:00
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Harvard Center on the Developing Child are excited to share the latest set of resources in their new handout series: Brain-Building Through Play: Activities for Infants, Toddlers and Children, developed with support from the LEGO Foundation.
This series includes a host of age-appropriate activities that are easy to do at home, inside or out! Play helps to develop sturdy brain architecture, the foundations of lifelong health, and the building blocks of resilience. Playful interactions with adults also help children build executive function skills.
To download the resources, please see - Brain-Building Through Play: Activities for Infants, Toddlers and Children - Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University