We would like to say thank you to the Postcode Society Trust for their generous contribution to Home-Start. With these funds we are able to continue our Being Mum group for new first time Mums.
This means we can continue to help meet the needs of local families with young children but with a new focus of those with new babies, as feedback confirms they are particularly impacted by the pandemic. The service will support first-time mothers and their babies (under 12 months old).
Before the pandemic the babies/children we supported already lived in a environments that risked their sense of safety, stability, and bonding. Now the situation is far worse for far more. The parents and their babies supported by this programme will be experiencing social, economic and health inequalities. Many will be insecurely housed, be families on low incomes or living in areas of high deprivation and poor health. Babies born during the pandemic are more vulnerable to mothers whose mental health is more fragile due to giving birth in hospital afraid of infection and without a partner; limited access to professionals/ family; no access to baby groups. This has affected bonding.