Introduction to family hubs | Services | Start for Life | Locations and activities | Get involved | Programme background
Start for Life
Start for Life is a programme of services to support families with children under the age of 5. The programme includes support for families from conception until the age of 2, also known as critical 1,001 days.
We have launched Start for Life as part of family hubs in Haringey.
- Maternity care during pregnancy
- Health visiting
- Immunisations
- Infant feeding
- Parenting support
- Children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)
- Extra help for families
Maternity care during pregnancy
Maternity care is the care you get from health professionals during your pregnancy. It is sometimes called 'antenatal care' or 'pregnancy care'. To learn more, visit antenatal care - NHS (external link).
As soon as you think you are pregnant, you should make an appointment to see your midwife or GP. You'll be offered appointments with a midwife, or sometimes a doctor who specialises in pregnancy and birth (an obstetrician). You can self-refer directly to a midwife by ringing your local antenatal clinic or by visiting the hospital website and filling in the self-referral form.
Haringey maternity services
These are offered at North Middlesex Hospital and Whittington Hospital.
Check their websites to learn more and find all contact details.
Health visiting
All families can access the health visiting service in Haringey. Health visitors will give you important information on health and wellbeing for you, your child and your family.
You will be offered at least 5 health reviews between pregnancy and when your child starts school:
- when you are pregnant (between week 28 and 36 of pregnancy)
- when your baby is born (between 10 and 14-days-old)
- when your baby is between 6 and 8 weeks old
- when your child is 1 year old
- when your child is 2 to 2 and a half-years-old
How to contact your health visiting service
Visit health visiting - Whittington Health NHS Trust (external link) to find all relevant information on the service, contact details and opening hours.
Maternal early childhood sustained home visiting (MECSH)
MECSH is a structured programme of sustained home visiting for families in need of extra support. The programme starts from pregnancy, or up until the baby is 6-8 weeks old, and can be offered until the child is 2-years-old.
The health visitor will offer the programme to parents who are experiencing difficulties that impact their capacity to achieve good health and development for their child.
Find out more: MECSH information leaflet for families (PDF, 1.9MB)
Immunisations
Immunisation is the safest and most effective way of protecting ourselves, our children and our community against serious diseases. Visit our vaccinations section to find out more.
Infant feeding
Your health visitor will be able to provide information and support with feeding your baby.
Breastfeeding support in Haringey
Haringey supports breastfeeding families. You're very welcome to breastfeed in all schools, nurseries, health and children’s centres and at our family hub. The law protects your right to breastfeed in public spaces.
The council provides breastfeeding peer support in the community, with free baby feeding drop-ins, face to face sessions and online appointments. The breastfeeding peer supporters also visit new families on hospital wards, and if you have shared your phone number with your hospital, you will be contacted shortly after giving birth. This service is provided by the Haringey Breastfeeding Peer Support Service, part of The Breastfeeding Network.
The Breastfeeding Network in Haringey (external link) also offers online one-to-one chats from the comfort of your home. Families can also get in touch via email: haringeysupport@breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk
You can also find useful resources here: Breastfeeding resources - UNICEF (external link)
And videos in multiple languages (external link)
Breastfeeding support helplines
- National Breastfeeding Helpline (external link)
- National Childbirth Trust (NCT) (external link)
- Breastfeeding Network (BfN) support line for Bengali/Sylheti speakers. Phone: 0300 456 2421
Bottles and dummies
Your health visitor will be able to provide information on how to safely and responsively use bottle and dummies.
Healthy Start scheme
Introducing solid food
- Introducing solid foods or weaning - UNICEF (external link) - information on introducing babies to solid food from around 6 months
- Feeding your child when they're over 12 months - NHS Start For Life (external link)
- First Steps Nutrition Trust (external link) - independent public health nutrition charity. You can find impartial reliable information in relation to infant milks and information on eating well for parents and children in the early years.
- The Eatwell Guide - NHS (external link) shows how much of what we eat overall should come from each food group to achieve a healthy, balanced diet. This is a useful resource for the whole family.
Oral health
Good oral health is important for overall physical and emotional wellbeing throughout life.
Start brushing your baby's teeth as soon as the first milk tooth breaks through (usually at around 6 months, but it can be earlier or later).
For information about taking care of children's teeth, including toothbrushing tips, dentist visits and fluoride varnish, visit children's teeth - NHS (external link).
Parenting support
See all parenting support activities in Haringey. Activities are free to attend.
Child emotional development
The Anchor Approach - help to strengthen your relationship with your child and to understand and manage their behaviour.
Parent and child emotional wellbeing
Children’s wellbeing is closely linked with their parent’s wellbeing. Some new parents feel overwhelmed after the birth of a baby so it's important to talk to your health visitor, midwife or GP if you or your partner feels under pressure.
- Perinatal mental health service - Whittington Health NHS Trust (external link) - support for women and their families during pregnancy, birth and the first year after birth (also called the perinatal period).
- Haringey’s parent infant psychology service (PIPS) (external link) - a therapy service set up to support parents, and their babies (up to the age of 2). We work closely with other professionals and agencies to support families.
- NHS - Every Mind Matters (external link) can help you make the first move for your mental health. This includes wellbeing tips, information about mental health issues, and supporting others.
Speech and language development
- Get Talking Haringey
- Talk and Play Every Day (external link)
- Haringey Libraries' ‘Rhyme Time’ programme
Safe sleep
- Guidance on reducing the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (external link), commonly known as cot death.
- Download the Infant Sleep App (external link), a free app with tips on helping your baby sleep.
Early years education and childcare
We have plenty of information on how to choose quality childcare for your child, including free childcare options and help with childcare costs. For more information:
Children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)
Haringey's Local Offer provides information for parents/carers of children with SEND. It explains the support we offer in Haringey for those children and young people.
Extra help for families
Safeguarding
If you have concerns that a child may be at risk of significant harm or has already been harmed or abused then you should make immediate telephone contact with Haringey's Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH).
For further information about the MASH, see our child protection pages.
Debt and financial advice
- Haringey, Here to Help - information on increasing your income, managing your debt and financial support you can get in Haringey.
Domestic abuse support
- VAWG (violence against women and girls) - If you or someone you know is experiencing any form of violence against women and girls or domestic abuse, help is available.
Help to stop smoking
- Haringey One You service (external link) - get help to quit smoking, to improve your health and the health of the people around you.
Help with alcohol
Free alcohol support in Haringey to those who think they have an alcohol problem, and those affected by alcohol:
Help with drugs
People who need treatment for drug addiction are entitled to NHS care in the same way as anyone else who has a health problem.
Children's centres
- Haringey children’s centres - a range of services for children under 5 and their families, providing information and support across the local community.
If your child is aged 5 and above, visit Haringey Healthy Child Programme: 5 - 19.