The newly established St Kilda Family Hub, located in Eastern Road, Romford, consolidates Health, Education, and Family support services under one roof. This initiative aligns with Havering’s commitment to providing children with the best possible start in life, offering early support and high-quality education from birth through to comprehensive services for young people and families.
The hub's development is a response to the Department for Education’s Best Start in Life initiative, which highlights the critical impact of a child’s first 1,001 days on their lifelong health, wellbeing, and educational attainment. It also supports the Council’s own Happy Healthy Lives Strategy, focusing on local priorities for child and family wellbeing in Havering.
In collaboration with local partners, the hub has expanded its offerings in areas including Education, Health, and Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). Services provided free to local families include play sessions, baby-feeding advice, wellbeing support for mothers and babies, and financial advice.
Children and young people aged 0-17 constitute approximately 23% of the borough’s population, with over 3,000 holding an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).
“"St Kilda has a long history of supporting local families and this is an exciting new chapter. This family hub will build on that strong foundation and marks an important milestone in delivering Havering's Best Start in Life Plan, which sets out our shared ambition to give every child the best possible start in life and to ensure families can access support when and where they need it."
Councillor Kevin Gill, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, stated that investing in early support and creating welcoming spaces like this hub allows for earlier identification of needs and the provision of joined-up services. He added that further family hubs are planned for the borough, which will offer parenting classes and support for home learning to improve children's early childhood outcomes.
