Forest Gate Children’s Centre
Welcome to our children’s centres- Kay Rowe is the lead centre and Maryland is our supporting centre.
Our vision statement
“A community hub providing excellent service, enabling all children and families to achieve the very best”
At the heart of this vision we know that by providing positive early learning experiences will enable children to be ready to learn, ready for education and to have good life chances. We want to work in partnership with our families by supporting them to identify their own strengths and empower them within their community.
Forest Gate Children’s Centre is a warm, stimulating and inclusive centre, in the heart of Forest Gate. Our aim is to work together with families to give all children the best start in life. We cover Forest Gate North and Maryland wards, planning and delivering services based on the five areas of the Best Start in Life Guarantee. We have dedicated and experienced staff, some of whom speak community languages to help and support you.
The Best Start in Life guarantee
Access to childcare (nurseries and childminders)
We can help you to find childcare, including free childcare for eligible two, three and four-year-olds.
We will ensure that children who are entitled to free 15hours child care are getting the help and support needed to secure a suitable nursery place.
Stay and play sessions (child development support)
Children learn and develop important skills through play. Stay and play sessions show you how you can support your child’s learning at home. These sessions are open to everyone and you can also meet other local families.
Targeted stay and play sessions (child development support)
Some sessions support families around particular issues, including children with additional needs. Some of these sessions might be open to everyone and some might be by invitation only.
Please see the timetable for your local children’s centre to find out what is available in your area.
If you have any worries about your child’s development, then you can talk to any of our Children’s Centre staff. You can also talk to your Health Visitor, your GP or your child’s nursery/childminder.
Parenting support
Our Family Support Workers help families to tackle issues having an impact on the family. This includes issues such as domestic violence, mental health, housing, and financial struggles.
We can also help build your parenting skills and confidence. You can talk to us about managing your child’s behaviour, healthy eating, speech and language or anything else.
Volunteering and support into employment
If you want to build your skills and confidence, you can volunteer in Children’s Centres and help us out. Our centres can also help you to learn and develop skills through workshops and courses. This can include English and Maths lessons, or Childminder and Teaching Assistant courses. We also work with other organisations, like Workplace, who can help you find work.
Health and well-being support
Your local Health Visitors provide advice and support on a range of health issues. They can support you through pregnancy into the first years of your child’s life. You can ask them about any health issues such as breastfeeding, weaning or speech delay. Children’s Centres will also have sessions to help you with healthy eating, toileting, sleep routines and other issues.
News Alert
In response to government guidance on social distancing, activities within Newham Children’s Centres have been adapted to be delivered virtually via the group chat app Zoom, which can be downloaded onto a phone or pc, free of charge.
Please take time to have a look at our current Virtual timetable.
Below is a map of the neighbourhood with all our partners:
We value your comments and feedback
Please let us know what other services you would like us to offer at Kay Rowe and Maryland.