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Children and families support services

Select the options below to view more information on available support.

Funded childcare

Starting your children in early years childcare can have lots of benefits including:

  • helping a child to learn and develop
  • building confidence and interpersonal skills
  • improving a child's speaking and listening skills
  • preparing a child for starting school.

You may be able to get free childcare for your child aged 9 months to 4 years old if you live in England. The amount of free childcare you can get depends on:

  • your child’s age and circumstances
  • whether you’re working (employed, self-employed, or a director)
  • your income (and your partner’s income, if you have one)
  • your immigration status.

View more information on paying for childcare on the Lancashire County Council website.

NHS Healthy Start

If you’re more than 10 weeks pregnant or have a child under 4, you may be entitled to get help to buy healthy food and milk.If you’re eligible, you’ll be sent a Healthy Start card with money on it that you can use in some UK shops to buy:

  • cow's milk
  • fresh, frozen or tinned fruit and vegetables
  • infant formula milk
  • fresh, dried, and tinned pulses.

You can also get free Healthy Start vitamins.

Please visit get help to buy food and milk (Healthy Start) on the NHS website to find out if you qualify.

Children and Family Wellbeing Service

This service is part of Lancashire County Council (LCC) and provides support and advice to children and families. 

They support families of children and young people from 0 to 19 years of age and young people with special education needs and/or disabilities up to 25 years old.

View more information on the children and family wellbeing service on the LCC website.

Inspire

Inspire is home to facilities that you can’t find anywhere else in the borough under one roof. From a climbing wall and pottery studio to an underground muga, gym and rec area, all for just 50p per session!

Inspire doors are open to 8 to 19 year-olds (and 25 year olds who have additional needs)

Sunday Funday - Family day taking place every Sunday 11am till 1:30pm and open to everyone! Go head to head with everything from climbing to football or chill out in baking and art. Inspire even have a brand new baby zone in the dance studio for the youngest of visitors… there really is something for everyone!

Thanks to Cadent Gas, it is completely free of charge to attend! 

View more information on activities at Inspire Youth Zone.

Lancashire SEND Information, Advice and Support Service

Lancashire SEND Information, Advice and Support Service is a statutory service which is run at ‘arm’s length’ from the local authority and provides free, confidential, impartial advice, guidance and support to parents of children with special educational needs and children and young people with SEND.

The service can help you to gather, understand and interpret information and apply it to your own situation.

They can provide information around the following areas in relation to SEND:

  • rights, roles and responsibilities
  • health and social care processes, regulations and guidance
  • support from other agencies and organisations.

View more information on the SEND information, advice and support service on the Lancashire County Council website.

Home-Start

Home-Start Central Lancashire is a family support charity based in Chorley who works with families, using a trauma informed approach and have at least 1 child under the age of 11. They support families who live in communities across West Lancashire, Chorley, South Ribble and Greater Preston.

Families struggling with post-natal depression, early childhood development, isolation, challenging behaviour, physical and mental health problems, bereavement and many other issues receive the support of a volunteer who will spend around 3 hours a week in a family’s home supporting them in the ways they need.

View more information on Home Start Central Lancashire

Email: enquiries@homestartcentrallancs.org.uk

Social Prescribing Service

The Social Prescribing Service offers free, confidential personalised support specifically tailored around what matters to you. We can help you to build the confidence and motivation to overcome barriers that you may be facing by using health coaching techniques and working closely with various services and partners. 

View more information on the Social Prescribing Service

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