Every parent starts their steps towards parenthood with different chances and different challenges.
This is an exciting opportunity for you, your baby and your family to consider how you as a family will develop and what is important to you as parents along the way. Whatever make up your family is there are some really useful ideas and links that can support your family from the antenatal period until the point where your child reaches their two-and-a-half-year birthday.
We hope this handbook gives you some ideas and activities to support you throughout this journey.
Please see below downloadable guide:
Starting out as parents downloadable guide
Have your say
Help us improve the local information on this website and give us feedback about any contacts you have had with our service by completing the Devon Public Health Nursing feedback form.
Devon County Council runs a confidential secure text messaging service for parents of children aged 0-19 years called ChatHealth. The service operates Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm, excluding bank holidays. All texts will be responded to by a public health nurse (health visitor/school nurse) within 24 hours. Outside of the service working hours, you’ll receive a message back to inform you that your text will be responded to once the line reopens.
You can also call our Public Health Nursing hubs on the numbers listed below.
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Devon text service for parents:
text
07520 631721 -
Eastern public health nursing hub:
phone
0333 234 1903 -
Exeter public health nursing hub:
phone
0333 234 1902 -
Northern public health nursing hub:
phone
0333 234 1904 -
Southern public health nursing hub:
phone
0333 234 1901
If you are concerned about the safety of a child in Devon, contact our Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) on 0345 155 1071 or email mashsecure@devon.gov.uk with as much information as possible.