With many face-to-face services closed, there’s concern about the lack of opportunities for children under five to play and socialise with friends. Here’s some information about our services.
What services are the Lloyd Park Children’s Charity Providing?
We’ve been supporting families throughout the pandemic. We have a programme of virtual and face to face activities (where this is safe and within current guidelines), including Baby Bank, Family Support, Flourish and Somewhere to Belong, You and Your New Baby, Baby Massage and You and Your Bump: a new group for expectant parents.
What are families telling us?
Local families have been fantastic. We have received overwhelming support and we are immensely grateful.
Local attitudes have been divided. Some parents and carers have wanted more services open, and others have urged us for caution. This does not take away the fact that many families have reported feeling isolated, vulnerable and abandoned. We know some have really struggled, and we are truly sorry to hear this.
Why are face to face services for toddlers temporarily closed?
Community play sessions for young children allow widespread mixing between households and this increases risk, not just for us, but for everyone in our community. Social distancing is an unrealistic expectation for young toddlers on the move, and we can’t ensure a COVID-Secure environment.
What are the current rules about community services?
Separate coronavirus guidelines are in place for different sectors and services. The guidelines change regularly and are often ambiguous and unclear. There’s nothing written specifically and clearly for groups involving parents/ carers and young children. This is our current understanding of the guidelines we’re following:
It is now against the law to gather in groups of more than six. Activities for children under 18 are exempt, and we can offer support groups for new and expectant parents. But it’s not clear if groups like our play sessions can legally meet, where children and adults from different households mix together. We asked the Department for Education (DfE) on 14th September, they were unable to confirm and we are waiting for a response.
Services exempt from the rule of 6, are still required to adhere to strict social distancing of 2m (or 1m with risk mitigation) for all users from different households. We think this is not achievable for most children once they are crawling and walking, and will be impossible for parents, carers and staff members to enforce.
Why are childcare services now open to children?
The guidelines for childcare services and out of school settings include a system of controls to help mitigate against the spread of infection, such as having no visitors or parents inside the setting, no other services can operate from the building, consistent groups or bubbles of children and staff, strict adherence to social distancing for all adults, and everyone is encouraged to limit the number of settings they attend to one. Whilst children under school age can return to pre-Covid numbers, school age children are restricted to maximum groups of 15.
What are we doing going forward?
With infection levels now increasing we are trying to find the best ways to support families. We have tested different methods, piloted groups and consulted with families. Ordinarily our services help families to make friends and overcome isolation, and we are trying to find ways of continuing to do this virtually. As further lockdowns are increasingly likely, it’s critical that we get this right. We are urging all families to give these sessions a try, tell us what you think and share ideas on how we can do better.
In response to feedback about the key issue’s families are facing, we are launching a new project for parents and carers suffering low level mental health problems, and/or financial hardship and money worries. We will focus on supporting children’s personal, social and emotional development and their communication and language. More information will be shared on our facebook page or you can e-mail familysupport@tlpcc.org.uk.
Childcare settings are a great place for children to make friends and develop their social skills. We’re encouraging all 3 and 4-year olds and around 30% of 2-year olds who are eligible, to take up the entitlement for free childcare. More info here.
We’re posting regular activities ideas on our facebook page and working with our Children and Family Centre partners to ensure all families know about and can access the services and support available.
You can take an active role in shaping the Lloyd Park Children’s Charity services and advocating for local families, by:
Giving feedback and sharing ideas to help us develop our services
Volunteering
Joining our Trustee Board or Sub Groups at our AGM on Tuesday 3rd November
Help us build brighter futures for children and their families in Waltham Forest
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