First of new wave of Family Hubs opens in borough

A new family hub for children and young people aged from 0 to 19 has officially opened in Skelton.

The Skelton Family Hub at the former De Brus site on Marske Lane will replace the old, smaller family hub at Skelton Primary and boasts new facilities including a larger creche, clinic room, consultation room, several multifunctional rooms and larger outdoor play area.

It is the first of a new wave of family hubs in the borough which will be adapted and created during the next three years. Previously family hubs formerly Sure Start Children’s Centres were for 0 to 5 year olds and their families.

The new Government Family Hub Framework will see the borough’s family hubs extend to also cater for older children and teenagers. The Council is supporting this vision and during the next three years will be working to implement it.

Cabinet Member for Children, Alison Barnes, attended the official opening last week. She said:

“This is a difficult time for many families, which makes it even more important for us to continue to offer this crucial support for our children and young people.  It was wonderful to see so many children, mums, dads, grandmas and grandads take time out to come and celebrate our excellent new facility. There’s a wonderful saying, ‘It takes a village to raise a child’ and it captures how the entire community should interact with and support children and their parents, so that they can live well and thrive - not just when children are small but throughout childhood and adolescence.”

The new hub was created after a public consultation which included a special focus on parents of children at the primary school.

As well as professionals from the Council, partner agencies and charities will also be based at the Hub including Daisy Chain which offers support for children with autism, midwives and The Link which offers emotional support to older children and young people.

The centre was officially opened by Redcar and Cleveland Mayor, Cllr Stuart Smith.

Kathryn Boulton, the Council’s Director of Children’s Services, delivered a welcoming speech to the large number of families that turned up in the autumn sunshine to help celebrate the launch.