Dear Editor,
By the age of five, a child’s brain is 90% developed, thus the early years are vitally important in shaping a child’s ability to think and eventually thrive.
As the neural pathways are formed they enable a child to, for example, move, develop language and problem solving—essential life skills.
Positive interaction from parents and the local environment assist with the child’s development.
Ways to stimulate a child’s development include:
- Talking, reading, singing and playing,
- Loving dependable adults,
- Providing activities which allow for stimulation of all five senses.
Research indicates that children who have not had an early years stimulating environment prior to entering early years schooling are about 4.5 months behind children from ‘advantaged’ backgrounds.
Alas this development gap widens to the extent that by the time the child leaves secondary education they are about two years behind.
This will obviously affect further college, university and employment opportunities.
Family Hubs are set up to support families from pregnancy to 19 (25 for SEND children).
The extremely wide range of activities and programmes include:
- Support throughout pregnancy
- Support for baby and parents
- Support for getting children ready for school
- Support for understanding a child’s behaviour
- Support for children with special additional needs
- Support for relationships
- Support with children’s health.
Some programmes are online and some workshopped.
An excellent and innovative initiative.
There are 15 Family Hubs in Durham but alas not one in Shildon with a population of about 9600! I cannot understand why this is the case.
Durham County Council will probably indicate that Shildon parents can attend Hubs in nearby towns. This is impracticable for a large number of parents.
Parents and children in Shildon would benefit enormously from having a Family Hub in this town. Without such a facility the children in Shildon are at an even greater development disadvantage—totally unacceptable!
As such I would like to suggest the setting up of a campaign to have a Family Hub in Shildon.
As an interim — and only an interim — I would suggest that DCC organise for staff from nearby towns to deliver appropriate programmes at a suitable venue in Shildon, such as Jubilee Fields Community Centre.
Your sincerely,
Fred Langley, Shildon
Shildon & District's local community newspaper.
