Welcome to Family Hubs and Children's Centres Liverpool Spring Newsletter

Hello all,

Welcome back to our Spring edition of Liverpool’s Family Hubs Newsletter. 

Thank you for being a valued part of Liverpool’s Family Hubs network. If you have any questions about the programme or this newsletter, please reach out to us at fsd@liverpool.gov.uk. 

Thank you for being a valued part of Liverpool’s Family Hubs network.

Exciting news - we are growing!

Liverpool’s Family Hub offer is growing and we will soon be offering a designated Family Hub in every neighbourhood.

We have a number of new launch events coming this term – these are essential dates for your diary, so make sure you come along and find out more.

Come along to our launch events

• Stoneycroft Family Hub: 4th February 2026  from 1pm-3pm
• Dovedale Family Hub (formerly Church and Mossley Hill Children’s Centre): 17th February 2026 from     10:30am-2pm
• Fazakerley Family Hub: 18th February 2026 from 11am-1:30pm
• Wavertree Family Hub: 19th February 2026 from 10:30am-1:30pm

Find your nearest Family Hub or Children’s Centre

To ensure that families and professionals can find up to date information on where their nearest Family Hub or Children’s Centre is, we’re in the process of updating our digital offer.

Visit the Family Hubs page on the Liverpool Family Information and SEND Directory to find our hub map and to discover what's going on in your local Family Hub or Children’s Centre.

Family Hub Best Start Plan

We are delighted that Liverpool has been successful in securing a further £7.1 million over three years to support the development of our Family Hubs.   

Annual allocations are: £2.41m (2026–27), £2.32m (2027–28) and £2.37m (2028–29)

The funding is ringfenced to be spend on: 

• Parenting support
• Home learning environment
• Perinatal mental health
• Infant feeding support
• Family panels and co-production

The Government has asked each local authority to develop and publish a local Best Start for Life Plan which sets out how as a city we can give every child in Liverpool the best start, by reducing inequalities by providing consistent, high-quality support from pregnancy to age five.  

The overall target for this plan is to achieve by summer of 2028: 

• 71% of all children to achieve a Good Level of Development (GLD) at the end of reception year 
• 56.4% of children eligible for free school meals to achieve GLD 

The plan will be our city’s bold vision for improving child development and health outcomes with local delivery partners across all sectors.

Kensington Family Hub launch

We launched our latest Family Hub in Kensington in November, and it was a roaring success!

With a wide range of partners from local and citywide support services, interactive activities, and fun and games for the whole family, Liz and the team did a fantastic job showcasing the vital work that happens in Family Hubs and Children’s Centres every day - from the local community in poverty reduction support, healthy teeth promotion, arts and crafts, and rhythm and rhyme sessions.

The event gave us the opportunity to engage with 181 parents and carers, and 194 children.

Best Start Family Hubs and Healthy Babies

You may be hearing some changes in the way we talk and communicate our Family Hubs offer.

All the work that we and our valued partners across the city are doing to support children achieve good outcomes by the time they reach school is part of the Best Start Family Hubs and Healthy Babies programme.

This will bring together the strongest elements of these approaches to create a more integrated, accessible system of support for families across the country.

Start for Life, our exciting offer for families who are pregnant or have a child aged 2 or under, is now Healthy Babies. 

Find out more about our Healthy Babies offer in Liverpool (fisd.liverpool.gov.uk).

Anti-poverty digital resources working group

Given the ongoing cost of living pressures facing families across our city, there has never been a more important time to ensure families can easily access support during times of financial crisis.

With this in mind, the team working on the Liverpool Family Information and SEND Directory would like to bring together a small working group to:

• Map out the support services available across the city.
• Identify any gaps in provision (geographical, service type, or eligibility based).
• Ensure our digital offer is robust, accessible, and easy for families to navigate.

If you’d like to find out more or join the working group, please email siobhan.mealey@liverpool.gov.uk.

Bambis 'Human Milk for Human Babies' sessions

Bambis will be delivering 'Human Milk for Human Babies' sessions this term in St John Bosco and St Julie's High School.  

After meeting with the County Commissioner, they also piloted a session with Guides on 21st Jan 2026.

Peer Support Bambis, from September to December, have supported 1,208 mums discharged from LWH. 11,540 contacts were made which includes phone calls, texts and 570 home visits. 

Reading Round Up

Research has shown that reading for pleasure has a positive impact on our mental health and wellbeing but current data indicates that many children and young people are not choosing to read in their own time.

The Department for Education and National Literacy Trust have designated 2026 as a Year of Reading and is encouraging all schools and organisations to look at how they can encourage families and individuals to 'go all in' and enjoy reading. Liverpool Learning Partnership is putting together a monthly round up of national and local Year of Reading activity including resources and events (many of which are free for schools and families to engage in). Access the most recent Round Up.

Short Breaks are recruiting

Do you have experience caring for children with additional needs? You already have what it takes to make a lasting difference. Short breaks fostering is just one weekend a month — but the joy, experiences, and lifelong bonds you help create can last forever. 

While children enjoy new experiences in a safe, loving environment, their families have the chance to rest, recharge, and feel supported.

Visit Short-Breaks Fostering for more information.

Getting Dads talking

We’re celebrating progress in engaging dads in open conversations about their mental health during the perinatal period.

Traditionally overlooked, fathers are now accessing support through tailored outreach, inclusive language, and safe spaces.

Thanks to our team, Everton in the Community, and the dads who’ve bravely shared their experiences - your wellbeing matters.

Free bitesize mental health training

Liverpool’s Mental Health Support for Children and Young People’s partner, the RAISE Mental Health Promotion Team have a unique training offer available for both professionals and parents.

Who is it for?

Parents, carers, and anyone supporting children or young people.

What’s on offer? 

Live, online one-hour sessions delivered by mental health professionals, covering topics such as Adolescent Brain Development, Child and Adolescent to Parent Violence and Abuse (CAPVA), Sleep, Emotionally-Based School Avoidance (EBSA), Body Image, Suicide Awareness, Self-Harm, Eating Disorders, Understanding and Managing Anxiety and much more. 

How to book

Visit to liverpoolcamhs.com book your free session.

More information

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