Sure Start Services

Sure Start provides support services to parents with children aged under four years old, living in disadvantaged areas in Northern Ireland. The programme can help a parent from pregnancy until their child starts school. With Sure Start’s ongoing support, a child can do well at school and flourish at home.

The aims of Sure Start are to improve:

• The ability to learn by encouraging stimulating play, improving language skills and the early identification and support of children with learning difficulties;
• Health by supporting parents in caring for children and promoting children’s health and development;
• Social development by supporting the development of early relations between parents and children, good parenting skill, family funtioning and early identification and support of children with emotional, learning or behavioural difficulties.

Local Sure Start contacts

There are five Sure Start partnerships in the Northern Trust area.

• Ballymena
• Carrickfergus and Larne
• Coleraine
• Cookstown
• Newtownabbey

Further information on Surestart Services.