6 Month Contact

EMOTIONAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Treating Postnatal Depression (Health for U5s)

Symptoms of perinatal mental illness (Health for U5s)

Having a baby can affect your emotional and mental health (Health for U5s)

Postnatal depression and perinatal mental health (Mind)

Postnatal depression overview (NHS)

CHILD DEVELOPMENT/AGES AND STAGES

Child developmental timeline (Health for U5s)

Child’s First 2 Years Booklet for information (Notts Healthcare)

Help your baby learn to talk (NHS)

Speech and Language UK, changing young lives

6 Month Developmental Milestones (Health for U5s)

PLAY

Let’s play – 6 months to a year old (Health for U5s)

Tiny Happy People – Activities (BBC)

SLEEP

Safer Sleep advice and helpful videos (Health for U5s)

Sleep for babies (Health for U5s)

Safer sleep (Health for U5s)

Helping your baby to sleep (NHS)

HOME SAFETY

What equipment do we really need? (Health for U5s)

Home safety (Health for U5s)

What to do if a baby is choking (Health for U5s)

Keeping your child safe around toys (Health for U5s)

Second hand smoke just the facts (Health for U5s)

Choking prevention (Child Accident Prevention Trust)

Keeping kids safe (RoSPA)

Fire safety (Child Accident Prevention Trust)

ORAL HEALTH

Teething Troubles (Health for U5s)
Protecting your child’s smile (Health for U5s)

Looking after your child’s teeth (Health for U5s)

A little trip to the dentist (health for U5s)

Your guide to oral thrush (Health for U5s)

Brush Book and Bed (Health for U5s)

LIFESTYLE CHOICES

Smoking and your baby (Health for U5s)

Change Grow Live

Keeping fit and healthy with a baby (NHS)

General health and wellbeing (NHS)

Travel and holidays (Health for U5s)

SEND

SEND Local Offer (Nottshelpyourself)

BABY BRAIN DEVELOPMENT

UNICEF (baby brain development)

Building a close relationship with your baby (NHS Start for Life)

SAFEGUARDING

Safeguarding children, Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH)

Info for parents and carers (Nottinghamshire Safeguarding Children Partnership)

SUPPORTING SERVICES

Nottinghamshire Healthy Family Teams are part of the Healthy Families Programme and provide advice and support for families, expectant mums and young people attending Nottinghamshire schools aged up to 19 years.

Notts Help Yourself provides information about a whole range of organisations and services including activities, groups and events in your local community, childcare providers, support for children and young people aged 0 – 25 with a special educational need and/or a disability, health and social care information and support for adults and children, and workplace health schemes.

Family hub networks in Nottinghamshire – information for families (Nottinghamshire County Council)

Nottinghamshire Family Hub Newsletter

Healthier Families (NHS) provides help for families to eat well, move more and live longer.

NottAlone offers local mental health advice, help and support for people aged under 25, parents and carers, and professionals who work with and support young people in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.

RETURNING TO WORK

Finding the right early years setting – Nottinghamshire | Health for Under5s – sign posts to funding for nursery and other information.

Child Benefit

You get Child Benefit if you’re responsible for bringing up a child who is under 16, and under 20 if they stay in approved education or training. Only one person can get Child Benefit for a child. There’s no limit to how many children you can claim for.

There are 2 Child Benefit rates: £25.60 for the eldest or only child, and £16.95 per child for additional children.

For more details visit the gov.uk website.

CHILDCARE

 Finding the right early years setting (Health for U5s)

Government guide (gov.uk)

 You can get help with the cost of childcare through:

• Tax Free Childcare in the UK
• free childcare if you’re working in England.

If you claim certain benefits, you may be eligible for free education and childcare for 2-year-olds under a separate scheme.

Tax-Free Childcare and free childcare if you’re working can help you to pay for childcare if it’s provided by a:

• registered childminder, nanny, playscheme, nursery or club
• childminder or nanny with a registered childminder agency or childcare agency
• registered school
• home care worker working for a registered home care agency.

This is known as ‘approved childcare’.

Childcare Costs (Notts County Council)

Help with childcare costs

Expansion of childcare support April 2024 onwards: Starting from April 2024, existing childcare support will be expanded in phases. By September 2025, most working families with children under the age of 5 will be entitled to 30 hours of childcare support.

The changes are being introduced gradually to make sure that providers can meet the needs of more families. This means that:

From April 2024, eligible working parents of 2-year-olds will be able to access 15 hours childcare support.

From September 2024, 15 hours childcare support will be extended to eligible working parents of children from the age of 9 months to 3-year-olds.

From September 2025, eligible working parents of children under the age of 5 will be entitled to 30 hours of childcare a week.

You can sign up for more details about the upcoming expansion, as well as how and when to register for support with childcare costs on the Childcare Choices website.

If you would like further information and advice and would like to speak to an advisor please telephone the Nottinghamshire County Council advice line on 0300 500 8080.

The information below gives an overview of the benefits and funding available to help families meet the cost of childcare.

2 year olds nursery funding (Notts County Council)

Your 2-year-old child may qualify for a funded early years place if:

1. your home address is in Nottinghamshire, and they are classed as a ‘looked after child’ (a looked after child is a child who is (a) in the care of a local authority, or (b) being provided with accommodation by a local authority in the exercise of their social services function. The term ‘looked after child’ would include a child who was previously ‘looked after’ but, immediately thereafter, became subject to an adoption, resident or special guardianship order)
2. you have left care through special guardianship or an adoption or residence order.
3. OR you receive one of the following benefits:

• Income Support
• income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
• income-related employment support allowance (ESA)
• Universal Credit, and your household income is £15,400 a year or less after tax, not including benefit payments
• the guaranteed element of Pension Credit
• Child Tax Credit, Working Tax Credit (or both), and your household income is £16,190 a year or less before tax
• the Working Tax Credit four-week run on (the payment you get when you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit)
• your child receives Disability Living Allowance or your child has an Education Health and Care Plan.
• if you’re a non-UK citizen who cannot claim benefits
• if your immigration status says you have ‘no recourse to public funds’, you may still get free childcare for your 2-year-old. You must live in England and your household income must be no more than:£26,500 for families with one child; £30,600 for families with two or more children; you cannot have more than £16,000 in savings or investments.

When to apply

When can the 2-year-old funding start? The information below will help you to understand when to apply for funding for your 2-year-old:

• if your child turns 2-years-old between 1 September and 31 December, the funding can begin on the term starting on or after 1 January (Spring). The recommended time to apply is between October and December
• if your child turns 2-years-old between 1 January and 31 March, the funding can begin on or after the term starting 1 April (Summer). The recommended time to apply is between January and March
• if your child turns 2-years-old between 1 April and 31 August, the funding can begin on or after the term starting 1 September (Autumn). The recommended time to apply is between mid-May and August

Please note: the application system only allows applications from when a child is 1 year and 9 months old. You will need to apply and have confirmation of eligibility before you can claim the funded hours.

If you attempt to apply before your child is 1 year and 9 months old you will not be able to proceed with your application. Please apply at a later date in this instance.

Notts Help Yourself (free nursery and early years places)

Free Nursery and Early Years Places

Funded childcare places for 2 year olds: If you would like further information and advice and would like to speak to an advisor, please telephone the advice line on 0300 500 8080.

Your two year-old child may qualify for a funded early years place if:

• your home address is in Nottinghamshire, and
• they are classed as a “looked after child” (A “looked after child” is a child who is (a) in the care of a local authority, or (b) being provided with accommodation by a local authority in the exercise of their social services function. The term “looked after child” would include a child who was previously “looked after” but, immediately thereafter, became subject to an adoption, resident or special guardianship order)
• have left care through special guardianship or an adoption or residence order

or you receive one of the following benefits:

• Income Support
• income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
• income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• Universal Credit – if you and your partner are on a low income from work (this usually means a combined income of less than £15,400 a year after tax)
• working/child tax-credits and you have an annual income of under £16,190 before tax
• the guaranteed element of State Pension Credit
• support through part 6 of the Immigration and Asylum Act
• the Working Tax Credit 4-week run on (the payment you get when you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit)
• your child receives Disability Living Allowance, or:
• your child has an Education Health and Care plan.

If they are 2 between:

• 1 September and 31 December – Apply between October and December, eligible from January (spring term)
• 1 January and 31 March – Apply between January and March eligible from April (summer term)
• 1 April and 31 August – Apply between mid-May and August eligible from September (autumn term)

Places are available for up to 15 hours per week for 38 weeks per year (term time only).  The places are available in OFSTED rated good or outstanding providers on the Nottinghamshire Directory or with approved childminders.

9 Months+ Funding for Working Families (Notts Help Yourself)

What is it?

From September 2024, eligible working parents of 9 months + will be able to access initially 15 hours for 38 weeks of the year from September 2024, then 30 hrs from September 2025.

This works out at up to 570 hours of funded early learning and childcare per year, usually taken as 15 hours a week for 38 weeks of the year. From September 2025 this works out at up to 1140 hours of funded early learning and childcare per year, usually taken as 30 hours a week for 38 weeks of the year though some providers will allow you to use less hours per week over more weeks of the year.

Is it for me?

You, and any partner, must both be working and each expect to earn the equivalent of 16 hours a week at the national minimum or living wage, and each earn less than £100,000 a year.

When can I apply and when will the funding start? 

Child born in January to March will be 9 months old in October to December, can get 15/30 hours funding from spring

Child born in April to June will be 9 months old in January to March, can get 15/30 hours funding from summer

Child born in July to November will be 9 months old in April to August, can get 15/30 hours funding from autumn

Child born in December will be 9 months old in September, can get 15/30 hours funding from spring.

You can apply from the term your child turns 9 months onwards for funding to begin at the start of the following term.

Your child reaches eligible age:

• 1 September – 31 December, the funding can begin on the term starting on or after 1 January (spring). The recommended time to apply is between 15 October and 30 November. The final deadline to apply is 31 December.
• 1 January – 31 March, the funding can begin on or after the term starting 1 April (summer). The recommended time to apply is between 15 January and 28 February. The final deadline to apply is 31 March.
• 1 April – 31 August the funding can begin on or after the term starting 1 September (autumn). The recommended time to apply is between 15 June and 31 July. The final deadline to apply is 31 August.

Childcare Choices

How do I apply?

The application process for 9 month + children has not opened yet. Sign up for more details about the upcoming expansion as well as how and when to register for support with childcare costs on the Childcare Choices website.

Where can I use the funding?

Places are available at a range of early years settings including nursery schools and classes, day nurseries, pre-school playgroups and childminders.

You can find a provider near you on the Families Information Service Directory

Do I have to pay anything?

The funding does not cover the costs of meals, other consumables (such as nappies or sun cream), additional hours or additional activities (such as trips). Providers may charge a fee for these additions.

 Universal Credit

Universal Credit is a payment to help with your living costs. It’s paid monthly.

You may be able to get it if you’re on a low income, out of work or you cannot work.

Universal Credit is replacing the following benefits and tax credits:

• Child Tax Credit
• Housing Benefit
• Income Support
• income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
• income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• Working Tax Credit.

If you’re getting any of these benefits or tax credits, you do not need to do anything unless either:

• your circumstances change
• you get a letter called a ‘Migration Notice’ telling you that you must claim Universal Credit.