Becoming a parent

Your social worker will support you in preparing for and becoming a parent. Support will be clearly set out in your pathway plan. There is a special section for this, so you know what is available local to where you are living, and the plan is updated as your child(ren) grow.

You can join our online parenting programme and/or in person programme to help you prepare and to meet other parents. Ask your social worker or email children.duty@cityoflondon.gov.uk. It is a programme accredited by the Race Equality Foundation.

If the timings don’t suit you, we can find other online parenting programmes to help.

Your social worker or keyworker can support you to attend doctor, initial midwife and health visitor appointments. As well as this, you can get the sure start child maternity grant and vitamin vouchers for when your baby is born.

If you want to return to education, training or an apprenticeship, your personal advisor can help you access costs for child care and apply for care to learn grants.

If you’re a lone parent and have sole care of your child moving into your first home, you can get additional financial support on top of your setting up home allowance, to help you furnish the property.

There are lots of other services and financial support that you may be able to access:

Support during pregnancy or if you've recently given birth

Get help to prepare for your new life as a parent.

Get free vouchers each week to spend on:

  • milk
  • fruit and vegetables (tinned, frozen or fresh)
  • pulses (fresh, tinned or dried)
  • infant formula milk
  • vitamins

Find more information on Healthy Start.

Family services in the City of London can be found via https://www.fis.cityoflondon.gov.uk/ . This includes information on childcare, the children’s centre, libraries and services available to families.

You may be living outside of the City of London. Your social worker will ensure you know about information and support nearest to where you are living and will include this in your pathway plan.

Family services in the City of London can be found via https://www.fis.cityoflondon.gov.uk/ . This includes information on childcare, the children’s centre, libraries and services available to families.

You may be living outside of the City of London. Your social worker will ensure you know about information and support nearest to where you are living and will include this in your pathway plan.

You can access our children’s centre wherever you are living. We can also help you find a children’s centre near to where you are.

Find a variety of services in our Children's centre including:

  • stay and play groups
  • parenting courses
  • a nursery

Children over the age of two get 15 hours per week free nursery (subject to criteria)