Building bonds between parents and children

Parents in Knowsley are being given free advice and support to help them develop better relationships with their children.

KHT Services – Knowsley Housing Trust’s social enterprise – is funding a number of schemes to help mums and dads engage with their children in fun and innovative ways through the Huyton-based Family Worker Project.

“We live in one of the poorest areas of the country,” said Angela McCormick, who runs the project. “So it is vital that we give children the best possible start. There is a big need in the area for people to engage with their children and interact with them on their level. It builds up relationships that can have a massive impact on a child’s development.”

Hundreds of parents and children have already benefited from the schemes, which are held at St Michael’s Church in Huyton.

Projects such as Play and Learn, C.A.M.E.O parent and toddler group and messy play are all designed to teach parents and guardians how to interact with their children to improve social skills.

“Some parents, for many reasons not under their control, have lost confidence in handling their children. We are trying to help them regain that confidence,” added McCormick.

“We will listen to parents’ needs and find out exactly where they need support. There are a variety of different schemes on offer so there is a huge amount of support available.”

Funding for the projects is being provided by KHT Services, which finances initiatives that offer support to communities across the borough.

“Parenting is a key issue in the area,” said Sharon Steele, KHT Service’s business development manager. “Being a parent is very different now to how it was 20 years ago. There are a new set of problems that people are facing. We are very keen to support young families in the area and schemes like this are a fantastic way to do that.”

The group is planning a raft of initiatives to help support parents in the coming months, including a series of personal development sessions with a leading women’s enterprise firm, youth football training during school holidays, and a visit from a theatre group.