First Steps Child and Family Centre – Barnardo’s

What to expect?

You will receive a friendly welcome into all of the centres. You won’t need to bring anything with you, but if your child is involved in messy play you may wish to bring a clean set of clothing to change into after the session.

All of the venues have toilets and disabled toilets, and are wheelchair accessible. They also have car parking and are on Peterborough bus routes.

Volunteer

The centre also has a variety of volunteering opportunities, from helping out with activities, to admin, gardening, and more. Contact them to see what is available.

All sessions and courses run by Barnardo’s are free:

Birth to walking PEEP (Parents as Early Education Partners) (course):
Getting ready for pre-school and school, supporting early language, literacy and personal skills. You can find out more about PEEP here. The specific focus here is the Learning Together Programme which aims to support parents and carers to:

• develop sensitive and responsive relationships with their babies and children
• improve the Home Learning Environment by valuing and extending learning opportunities in everyday life.

By supporting parents/carers, the programme aims to improve children’s:

• personal, social and emotional development
• communication and language
• early literacy
• early maths
• health and physical development.

Antenatal to walking PEEP (course):
For expectant mothers (from 26 weeks plus) and their partner or a supportive friend. The antenatal programme aims to support parents to:

• think about their baby, tune in to their baby’s feelings and respond sensitively;
• understand the importance of sensitive parenting to developing a loving, consistent and secure attachment;
• become more aware of the social and emotional aspects of the transition to parenthood;
• manage their own (sometimes difficult) feelings that are aroused by a new baby;
• meet other expectant or new parents and develop a supportive network group;
• reduce the risk to the early parent–infant relationship (by helping to prevent, for example, isolation, anxiety and low-level depression);
• engage with other local services.

This helps parent-baby bonding and attachment. Research indicates that these strong relationships enhance parents’ confidence and self-esteem, as well as contributing to better outcomes for the child in terms of:

• their cognitive development
• the relationships they build
• their resilience to cope.

Toddler to Age 5’s PEEP (course):
Getting ready for pre-school and school, supporting early language, literacy and personal skills. This Learning Together Programme aims to support parents and carers to:

• develop sensitive and responsive relationships with their babies and children.
• improve the Home Learning Environment by valuing and extending learning opportunities in everyday life.

By supporting parents/carers, the programme aims to improve children’s:

• personal, social and emotional development
• communication and language
• early literacy
• early maths
• health and physical development.

Stay & Play (sessions):
Sessions provide a safe and stimulating learning environment in which parents/carers can play with their children, have fun and learn together whilst focusing on developing their child’s language, literacy and preparing their child for school. Suitable for toddlers to age 5.

Baby massage (course):
A perfect opportunity to build the bond between parent and baby and helps to reduce pain from colic, wind and constipation whilst also helping to promote a healthy immune system. Suitable for non-mobile babies.

Baby Time (sessions):
Providing a wonderful opportunity for you to help your baby to use their early senses to explore and develop their social skills in a relaxed and calm environment. Sessions provide time for parents/carers to make new friends, share their ideas or concerns and obtain information whilst gaining knowledge of their babies’ growth and development. Suitable from birth to walking.

NHS Midwifery Clinics:
Appointments only – Telephone: 01733 677266

NHS Health Visitors Clinics:
Appointments only – Telephone: 0300 029 5050

NHS Baby self-weigh:
For babies aged 6 weeks plus – this is a drop in session. Check with the centre for the day and time.

Visit the Barnardo’s booking form, where you will find details of charges, dates and times of sessions, and additional information.

The Buttercup Café
Wednesdays 12 – 2pm (last orders at 1:30pm)
Jacket potatoes and toasties £1, free tea, coffee, squash or water with your meal.
Everyone welcome!
For more information call James: 07834 698 510 or Sherrie: 07808 516 764

You can find out what the other Barnardo’s Child and Family Centres across Peterborough do as well by visiting their pages:

• Honey Hill Child & Family Centre
• East Child & Family Centre
• Orton Child & Family Centre
• Fulbridge Child & Family Zone
• Gladstone Child & Family Zone

Some activities are also held in other community venues:

• Iqbal Centre/Gladstone Connect
• South Bretton Family & Community Centre
• WestRaven Community Café