St Kilda’s Children’s Centre in Romford has been chosen as the site for a new family hub providing local children with the opportunity to have the best start in life.
The Council-run centre will provide parenting sessions and home learning programmes for local children in a bid to help early childhood development and to help children thrive in school.
The new hub will benefit from a £153,000 grant from the Department for Education, and the grant will be used to develop existing and new services to be run from April 2026.
The Council’s Cabinet approved St Kilda’s on Eastern Road, Romford, as the most suitable site, as it sits within a disadvantaged area and is easily accessible to local families.
Councillor Oscar Ford, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, said:
“This is the first of a number of hubs planned for the borough and it will provide parenting support and home learning programmes for families in order to improve children's outcomes in early childhood. Our aim is to ensure children reach their expected development levels."
“By ensuring earlier interventions, our hope is that we will reduce the risk of adverse childhood experiences that some young people face, so we can improve the opportunities and life chances of the next generation.
Ingrebourne Children’s Centre and myplace youth centre, both in Harold Hill, will be used as satellite hubs to St Kilda’s during the initial phase to ensure support reaches other areas in the borough where a need has been identified.