BABY AND TODDLER GROUPS
Being part of a community
The Alliance’s Alison Heseltine shares a selection of organisations to help baby and toddler groups start their own community directory
Alison Hestletine, early years development officer at the Alliance, supports families and educators.
A baby and toddler group can often find itself being the heart of a local community, bringing families together for the first time to build connections, a sense of belonging, and friendships that can last a lifetime.
Many families share with us that their local toddler group is the first place they venture out to where they meet other families and little ones. The time spent in the group is key in helping to tackle the loneliness and feelings of overwhelm that a new parent can experience.
We’ve also had older family members such as grandparents who are bringing their grandchildren to groups tell us that the intergenerational relationships that can flourish are invaluable to both younger and older generations alike.
A toddler group is a safe place where achievements by the whole community can be widely shared and celebrated – building a better quality of life while creating opportunities for everyone. You may find that, as a toddler group leader, you become a trusted source of information and advice, so it can be a good idea to keep up-to-date contact details of other groups/support organisations in your local area as well as nationally. The information will not only benefit your families, but also the group as a whole!
Your local knowledge and expertise will be essential in putting together your directory but, to help get you started, we’ve listed some national support organisations:
Family Corner
bit.ly/Family-Corner
The family arm of the Early Years Alliance – with free information, support and advice on a wide range of topics, as well as our free online family learning sessions.
BBC Tiny Happy People
bbc.in/3WV4kTG
Activities, tips and advice to support child development particularly children’s language skills.
The Lullaby Trust
bit.ly/lullabytrust-24
Safer sleep advice for families with babies and young children.
Baby banks
bit.ly/BBA-24
For many families baby banks are a lifeline to help to cover the costs of a new baby. There’s a link on the website to help to find local baby banks.
50 things to do before you’re 5
bit.ly/50thingstodo-24
Low cost/no cost activity ideas for families with young children.
Help with paying for childcare
bit.ly/childcare-choices24
Information on support from the government to help to cover some of the costs of childcare for families.
PANDAS
bit.ly/PANDAS-24
Support for any parents who are affected by perinatal mental illness.
Help with bills, benefits, debts and some legal issues
bit.ly/CA-24
On the main website there is information on a wide range of topics and also a link to find local offices.
Child Accident Prevention Trust
bit.ly/CAPT-24
Safety advice and resources for families.
Infant and Toddler Forum
bit.ly/ITF-24
Help on a wide range of topics from meal planning, portion sizes, food refusal and breastfeeding.
Healthy Start
bit.ly/healthy-start24
This scheme through the NHS means that, if someone is more than 10 weeks pregnant or has a child under four, they may be entitled to help to buy healthy food and milk.
Child Bereavement UK
bit.ly/CB-UK-24
Support for families when a child is grieving or when a child passes away.
British Red Cross
bit.ly/British-RC-24
First aid advice for families with babies and young children.
Finding childcare
bit.ly/Local-childcare
Help for families to find childcare in their local area.
Breastfeeding support
bit.ly/BF-advice24
Frequently asked questions and advice, along with details of the national breastfeeding helpline.
Hub of Hope
bit.ly/Hub-of-Hope24
A national database of mental health and wellbeing support in local areas.
Better Health, Healthier Families
bit.ly/healthier-families
Advice and information about healthy eating and exercise for all the family. There are ideas for family activities and games, recipe suggestions, mental wellbeing tips and an email update service to support families to make healthier choices.
ERIC
bit.ly/ERIC-24
Information about children’s bladder and bowel health along with advice around toilet training.
Help for families struggling with cost-of-living
bit.ly/Trussell-Trust-24
The Trussell Trust support many of the local foodbanks that run across the country – on their website there is a ‘find a foodbank’ option, where they explain the steps that families need to take in order to access their services.
Most local authorities will have an information service for families that lists all the local groups, events and activities on it, in addition to national organisations. This is a great place to start and also to find out if you can add your group details to the listings.
The Alliance Baby and Toddler Toolkit helps group leaders reflect on the service they offer to families, including ways to extend an inclusive and welcoming environment for all alongside building connections to other community resources.
If you would like to know more, please visit: bit.ly/BabyToddlerToolkitU5.
Under 5 magazine
The magazine of the Early Years Alliance