Families Services Directory

The Families Information Service provides information to parents and carers of children from before birth to 19 years of age on a range of issues they may face in bringing up children. The service also provides an online directory of local services and organisations which includes leisure activities, schools, childcare providers, children’s centres, local community centres, health services and other voluntary and community groups.

You can access a test directory at the following address: http://parents.info/sunderland.

PLEASE DON’T GIVE OUT THIS ADDRESS TO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC.

A similar search page will be available within the www.familiesinfoservice.com website by Christmas.

Featured Services

Remix (Art Group)

A range of free arts activities led by professional artists and youth workers including Music, Theatre, Dance, Art, Film and more.

The group also includes Oxclose Music Project where support, equipment and practice facilities allow young people to form their own bands, record their own music and perform "live" to their peers and others.

For more information click here

Southwick 'Golden Gloves' Amateur Boxing Club

Southwick "Golden Gloves" Amateur Boxing Club is based at Elite Health and Fitness.

Suitable for all members of the public aged over 5 years.

Benefits of using Southwick "Golden Gloves" ABC include:

• Promoting active healthy lifestyle
• Gaining skills for future career possibilities
• Helping to reduce anti-social behaviour

For more information click here

Parents Week

Celebrate being a parent this October

Monday 18 October to Sunday 24 October

Families in Sunderland will have the chance to meet a Dalek from Dr Who and take a mini health MOT as part of this year’s Parents’ Week celebrations.

This year’s theme is ‘Knowing Families’ with events aimed at encouraging families to spend quality time together and find out about all kinds of services they may find useful when raising their children in Sunderland.

Come along to one of the events taking place throughout Parents’ Week and see what you discover.

Click here to find out more….

Choice Advice

Admission to secondary schools

The closing date for secondary applications is Sunday 31October 2010.

Information packs should have been sent to parents with children in year 6.

The Families Information Service can offer support to parents/carers in choosing a school for their children.  It is particularly aimed at parents/carers who are most likely not to complete their preference forms for their child’s place at school. 

The Families Information Service has collected information from schools about their opening times, school ethos, curriculum details etc in order to provide this to parents and carers who require it.

Admission to Primary School

Information packs will be distributed to parents on Friday 19 November 2010. Parents have until 15 January 2011 to apply for a place.

If you need any further information on the application process please contact us on 0191 520 5505.

Facebook

Don’t forget the Families Information Service are on Facebook. Remember to sign up here: www.facebook.com/sunderlandfis

Here is an example of the recent stories posted on the page.

Fireworks, Dora the Explorer, Family Walks and Fun Fairs...Houghton Feast started on Friday 8th October for ten days of fun until Sunday 17th October. For a programme of each day's event click here for more information

Are you a single parent? If you need support or expert advice on anything from dealing with a break-up, to going back to work or sorting out maintenance, benefit or tax credit issues. The friendly advisers will talk through your options and will send you useful information. For more information click here

As you will be aware, the application process for Care to Learn has changed for 2010/11. Learning Providers and Childcare Providers no longer need to submit their details at the same time as the young parent’s details; the young parent applies using their own, and their child(ren)’s details, and is then assessed. If the young parent is assessed as eligible, they will receive a Notice of Entitlement and two registration forms:

• a Learning Provider Registration Form, and
• a Childcare Provider Registration Form.

Before any childcare or travel payments can be made, the Learning Provider and Childcare Provider must complete and return these registration forms to the Learner Support Service (LSS) for assessment.

A number of Learning Providers and Childcare Providers have not yet returned their completed Learning Provider and Childcare Provider Registration Forms. Please note that childcare payments, or any associated travel payments, cannot be issued until these forms have been completed, returned, and approved by the LSS.

If you know of any young parents who have applied for or who have been assessed as eligible for Care to Learn, please ensure that they pass the appropriate Learning Provider or Childcare Provider Registration Form to you to complete and return to the LSS.

Care to Learn Application Resource Pack

To help you to complete the Learning Provider and Childcare Provider Registration Forms we have included these in the Care to Learn Application Resource Pack, which you can download here

If you are completing a Learning Provider Registration Form, or Childcare Provider Registration Form, we would encourage you to download the Application Resource Pack to refer to.

If you have any queries on the application process for Care to Learn, you can contact the Learner Support Service Provider helpline on 0845 600 7979.