Family services in Lea

Families in the Lea area are being given the opportunity to shape the services they would like delivered to them and their children.
 
Herefordshire Council’s Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership (EYDCP), which oversees the rolling out of the County’s Children’s Centres, is holding a consultation day on Tuesday, March 14, at Lea Primary School, between 2.30pm and 5.30pm.

The aim of the day is to give local families the opportunity to let the EYDCP know what services would benefit them and their community.

Children’s Centres offer a one-stop service allowing family’s access to a wide range of services such as crèche facilities, childminder and parenting support groups and health services.

Three Children’s Centres are already up and running and the Council’s EYDCP is going to develop a further six across the County.

It is hoped that a Children’s Centre will be up and running in the Ross-on-Wye area by 2008. However, in the meantime, the EYDCP want to begin delivering services within the community. They aim to work with local outreach programmes to deliver the required services.

All families and children in the Lea area are invited to the open day and encouraged to have their say in shaping the services delivered to them.

“The aim of the day is to find out what people need and want and to make it a fun day at the same time,” said Ros Hatherill, Herefordshire Council’s Early Years and Childcare Manager.

“We shape each Children’s Centre to the needs of the local community. Although we won’t be able to have a centre in the Ross-on-Wye area until 2008, we want to start working with the local community now and start delivering the services they need,” she added.

The consultation event will be held in a marquee on the school grounds. There’s something for everyone with face painting, music, story telling, arts and crafts.

Refreshments will be provided and everyone who returns one of the consultation forms is in with a chance of winning a book voucher worth up to £10.