Best Start service: for children up to the age of 5

Best Start offer a range of community activities and services that provide families with support – for example:

• Community Builders – work with communities and start from a place that celebrates the strengths and assets that the communities have
• Home-Start Croydon – provide a service to families by recruiting and training volunteers to offer informal, confidential and friendly support through one to one home visits, groups and in the community
• My Outspace – support families into employment and self-employment via training, mentoring, peer to peer support groups and one to one advice sessions
• Parent Champions – peer to peer groups, volunteer at children’s centres and visit and promote services in community group
• Croydon PAIRS (Parent and Infant Relationship Service) – works with parents-to-be and parents of babies up to 24 months
• SLaM (South London and Maudsley NHS Trust) and Empowering Parents, Empowering Communities (EPEC) – parenting courses that have a proven method to help children and families get the very best start in life, courses include: Baby & Us and Being a Parent

You may also be eligible for help with childcare costs.

Health and wellbeing support

There are also a range of health support service that Best Start offer:

• Maternity services – Croydon Health Services NHS
• Chat health – confidential texting service for parents and carers, giving advice and support on children’s physical and emotional health
• NHS Healthy Start Vouchers – if you are pregnant or have a child under four years old and you receive benefits or tax credits, you could qualify for NHS Healthy Start vouchers
• Time for Me – crisis support and coping skills group for parents
• Keeping your home safe – if you're in Croydon council housing with a child under 5 you may be eligible for a free home safety check
• Healthy homes – for families at risk of being in fuel poverty or with a member living with a medical condition which could be exacerbated by living in a cold home
• Live Well Croydon – personalised support for health and wellbeing from trained professionals

Health Visitor Duty Line

If you need to speak to a Health Visitor directly, you can call the Health Visitor Duty Service on 020 8274 6006 – they're open Monday to Friday: 9am to 4:30pm

Find out more about the Health Visiting Service – Croydon Health services NHS

You can find other types of support in your local area in our directory or find out about activities on the Best Start Croydon Facebook page.