Four in five parents across the South West struggling to access vital early years support
A new report warns the pandemic has made a bad situation worse
A charity is calling for the government to give parents in Dorset a minimum guarantee of services for the under fives.
A new report from Action for Children reveals four in five across the south-west have either struggled or not been able to access early years support.
The charity says the pandemic has made an already bad situation worse, pushing things like extra support for both parents and youngsters mental health further out of reach.
These and other programmes that support children's education and development and the relationship between parents and their children are said to be vital in helping professionals identify and support families struggling to cope.
Katie's Story
Katie, 30, and her partner Jonathan have three children, Lily (8), James (5) and Jack, eight months.
When James turned one, Katie and Jonathan started to suspect delays in his development and Katie began to feel isolated due to a lack of support from professionals.
“It was very worrying. I could see that he was delayed and behind where other kids his age were. I would take James to see the paediatrician and we would be seen for five minutes and told to come back in a few months".
James went through several assessments before being formally diagnosed with autism.
Katie added: “I didn’t know anyone who had a child with severe additional needs and I had no idea where I could go for support".
Eventually, Katie she was referred to her local Action for Children centre.
She said: “It was absolutely life-changing to be able to take him somewhere that was safe and contained where he could play happily and socialise.
"We finally had somewhere where James wasn’t different and where we didn’t feel judged. Sometimes you feel like you’re the only one in this situation, so it makes all the difference being able to meet other parents who are going through the same thing".
Imran Hussain, Director of Policy and Campaigns at Action for Children, said:
“Being a parent is the hardest and most important job many people will have. It’s good we are hearing ministers talk about the family as an institution that is vital to levelling up, but the fact remains that some children in the South West are being left behind by a lack of access to crucial early years support."
"Family life has been hugely disrupted since the pandemic hit and today’s report shows vital lifeline services which were already stretched, may be ‘out of reach’ for most parents, leaving them to struggle alone. We know from our own frontline services that helping families as early as possible is more effective in the long-run so investing in high quality centres and hubs in every community should be a core part of the ‘levelling-up’ agenda."
“The Government’s manifesto commitment to family hubs is an opportunity to ensure all parents and young children across the South West get the support they need to thrive. We urge the Chancellor to take urgent action in next month’s Spending Review to ensure councils can deliver a minimum service guarantee for parents and young children so all children get the best start in life".