Crawley Best Start Family Hub

18/06/2026

The Met Office has issued an amber heat health alert for the South East, effective from 12.00pm on Thursday 18 June to 8.00pm on Tuesday 23 June. 🌡️

Hot weather can increase health risks, especially for vulnerable groups, and may disrupt health and social care services.

View the latest update: https://ukhsa-dashboard.data.gov.uk/weather-health-alerts/heat/south-east

Stay informed and safe: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/beat-the-heat-advice-for-hot-weather ☀️

This guidance provides advice for everyone on how to stay safe during hot weather, including how to keep your home cool. 

17/06/2026

Does your child's school offer wraparound childcare?

If they don't, parents have the right to request the school to consider providing wraparound or holiday childcare if it isn't already available.

You should write to your child’s school by letter or email and include when you most need wraparound childcare, detailing the days and times you need it. Before making a decision about your request, your school may also need to find out about the childcare needs of other families.

Visit our webpage:
👉 https://ow.ly/FAlE50Zaqne to find out more about right to request .

12/06/2026

We still have spaces in our sensory room for next week, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
Please call 01293 651777 to book 😊

10/06/2026

Did you know there is universal funding for all 3 and 4 year olds? The 3 and 4 year old Universal Early Years Funded Entitlement (EYFE) means you can access up to 15 hours funded childcare. It is available to all children regardless of their family circumstances.

It can be used alongside the 3 and 4 year old Extended EYFE for Working Families. This means you can access an additional 15 hours funded childcare, allowing you to access up to 30 hours funded childcare. But all working families entitlements are subject to eligibility.

Visit https://www.westsussex.gov.uk/education-children-and-families/childcare-and-early-education/childcare-options-and-funding to find out more.

Advice on childcare, pre-school, nurseries and paying for childcare.

09/06/2026

How much toothpaste should you use for your child? 🪥

Using the right amount of fluoride toothpaste can help protect children’s teeth.

- Under 3 years old: use a smear, about the size of a grain of rice
- Aged 3 to 6: use a pea-sized amount
- Older children: follow the guidance on the toothpaste packaging

Brush twice a day and encourage children to spit out toothpaste rather than rinse.

09/06/2026

Bookings are now open for the summer Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme!

The HAF programme welcomed over 1,700 children into clubs during the Easter holidays. Across West Sussex, children took part in a huge variety of different activities including kayaking, basketball, skateboarding and farm school.

We are proud to support families with children eligible for benefit related free school meals and help keep children busy, active, fed and safe over the school holidays.

We look forward to welcoming even more children onto the HAF programme this summer. Each eligible child can book up to 16 sessions this summer, every session includes a free nutritious meal.

All bookings need to be made using our online booking system: https://orlo.uk/IHgej

To register, families need to use their child’s HAF code which can be found on their Free School Meal eligibility letter or by emailing [email protected]

More information and FAQs can be found on our website: https://orlo.uk/O2qAX

08/06/2026

Why not avoid the rain and come and play, we have sessions available in our sensory room at Broadfield this week.
Do call us on 01293 651777 to book 😊

04/06/2026

We will be making roads at Stay and Play with big sheets of paper and colourful crayons and pencils then driving our cars along them. Activities like these support children's pencil holding and early writing skills

04/06/2026

If you or your child need urgent and unscheduled dental care and do not have a regular dentist, help is available.🦷

Call the Sussex Dental Helpline on 0300 123 1663.

Remember - brushing twice a day with fluoride toothpaste is one of the best ways to prevent problems before they start.

Protect every smile 💙

03/06/2026

Struggling to find reliable childcare information?

The Family Information Service is the only authorised source for daily Ofsted updates on nurseries, pre-schools, and childminders in West Sussex.

Start your childcare search with confidence:
👉 https://ow.ly/z8x550Z6xI0

Childcare is the care and education provided at any setting (place) in which your child is looked after without you being present. This may be at a...