Northumberland Families Information Service
The Families Information Service is a free,
impartial service giving detailed information and advice on
childcare as well as general information on a wide range of
services for children and young people aged 0 to 20 years
and young people aged up to 25 with additional needs and
their families in Northumberland.
Childcare choices - looking for childcare?
If your looking for childcare or an early
education place for your child - we can help. We can help you
with your childcare choices including Ofsted registered and
non-registered childcare and childcare settings suitable for
children with disabilities and special educational needs.
Please contact us or use our directory, which lists local Ofsted
registered childcare providers. Website:
http://northumberland.fsd.org.uk/kb5/northumberland/fsd/home.page
Free entitlement
We provide information on the 15 hours of free entitlement
to early years provision for all 3 and 4 year olds and where
you can access this for your child in Northumberland.
Advice on paying for childcare
We can provide information on:
- Tax credits and the childcare element of
Working Tax Credit
- Childcare Voucher Schemes
- Going back to Further and Higher
Education
- NHS Bursary childcare allowance
- Career Development Loans
- Care to Learn (for teenage parents)
- New Deal for Lone Parents
- Disability Living Allowance for children
- Free entitlement to early years provision
for 3 and 4 year-olds
Balancing work, training and home life
Information on:
- maternity, paternity and parental leave
- adoption leave
- time off for dependents
- flexible working
- help with childcare costs
Tax Credit Estimator
Our tax credit estimator offers a quick and
easy way of giving you an indication of how working part-time,
full-time or using childcare vouchers could affect the amount of
tax credits you might be entitled to. We focus on Child Tax Credits
and Working Tax Credits (including the Childcare element).
Please note that any figures we provide are a general
indication only. For further information please call
the Tax Credits Helpline (0345 300 3900) .
Alternatively, use this Tax Credit Checker to see if you are
eligible for help with Childcare Costs:
http://www.payingforchildcare.org.uk/decider.php
Brokerage Service
We offer a brokerage service providing extra
assistance for those who are having difficulty sourcing
childcare. We can explain the childcare system and assess
childcare needs, help identify sources of funding and support and
where necessary act as an intermediary between parents and
providers.
We provide assistance to parents of children
with disabilities and special educational needs to find the
services they need.
Children and Young People’s Directory
The Children and Young People’s Directory
provides information on local and national activities,
organisations and services for children and young people aged up to
20 years, parents, carers and those who work with children and
young people. You can also access local childcare
information from our website.
Website:
http://northumberland.fsd.org.uk/kb5/northumberland/fsd/home.page
Childcare Sufficiency Assessment
Childcare Sufficiency Assessment
(CSA)
The Childcare Act 2006 places a duty on English
local authorities to improve outcomes for children and young
people, to secure sufficient childcare so that parents and carers
can work, and to provide information about the various forms of
childcare available to them.
The purpose of the CSA is to identify gaps in
the childcare market, so that we can plan how to support the market
to ensure sufficient childcare provision. The CSA focuses on formal
registered and formal unregistered childcare provision wherever
possible, and involves childcare for 0 to 14 year olds, and 18 year
olds for disabled children and children with learning difficulties.
A core element of this duty is to complete a CSA every three
years.
Please follow this link to the
current CSA
Link to the
CSA
How can I find out about general
information on childcare?
You can contact the Families Information
Service for general advice and guidance on childcare issues:
Freephone 0800 023 4440 or 01670 624889
E-mail: fis@northumberland.gov.uk
If you would like to contact another FIS
in another part of the country, please use the following link to
find their contact information.
http://findyourfis.daycaretrust.org.uk/kb5/findyourfis/home.page
Family Support
and Placement Service
If you are interested in foster care, family support day care or
adoption, please visit our websites:
Private fostering - http://www.northumberland.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=2175
Adoption - http://www.northumberland.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=1035
Foster Care - http://www.northumberland.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=1034
You can also contact us on 01670 626262 or
email familyplacement@northumberland.gov.uk
FIS Contact Details
If you would like further information on any
of the above services, please contact the Families Information
Service on freephone 0800 023 4440 or 01670 624889.
E-mail: fis@northumberland.gov.uk
The office is open from 9am to 5pm Monday to
Thursday and 9am to 4.30pm on Fridays (closed on Bank Holidays).
Please leave a message on our answerphone outside normal office
hours and one of our staff will call you back.
