A children’s centre is a place where you can access a range of different services based under one roof to help you and your family. Hackney’s children’s centres will deliver a range of services, working closley with schools, GPs and other local service providers to ensure continuous support to children and their families. Children Centres based in schools will be intrinsically linked to the school, however a place at the children's centre will not give you priority to a school place.

Some centres will have staff from various disciplines, such as nursing, social work, psychology and speech therapy, co-located in the same centre. Other centres will primarily offer early education integrated with childcare, with a coordinated programme of other core services.

Services available at a children’s centre

Each centre will have a range of services for children under 5 years old and their families to meet local needs. They will have a core offer of services such as:

• Early education integrated with childcare for children under 5 years old
• Child and family health services, which includes services to pregnant women
• Family support services, including services to support parents with parenting so that children are supported to achieve their potential
• Community outreach services; this may include services to support parents back into employment
• Links with childminders

Opening times

Most children’s centres will be open from 8:00am in the morning until 6:00pm in the evening, Monday to Friday, 50 weeks a year. Children’s centres also support networks for local childminders. If you are a working parent, with a child under five, your nearest children’s centre offers an ideal form of childcare, local to you and for the hours you need it.

Cost:

You will need to pay for childcare in children’s centres in the same way as you would for other childcare provision in the borough. Each children’s centre will be able to give you specific information about childcare costs.

Going back to work

If you are thinking about going back to work, your local children’s centre will also provide information, advice on training and getting a job, in partnership with the Children's Information Service.

Health care and family support

Each children’s centre will provide a range of family support, health and information services for all families. You will be able to get support before and after the birth of a baby. Other services available locally will provide advice on caring for babies and children’s speech and language development. Children and families with extra needs will be helped to access specialist health and family support services. Accessing family support, advice and parenting classes should be easy and there will be plenty of activities and ‘stay and play’ sessions where you will have the opportunity to meet other families.