Home-Start - St Albans City & District

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Welcome to Home-Start
St Albans City & District

Providing practical and emotional support for young families in: St Albans, Harpenden, Redbourn, Wheathampstead, Colney Heath, London Colney and Sandridge

What is Home-Start?

Home-Start is a voluntary organisation in which volunteers offer regular support, friendship and practical help to young families in their own homes, helping to prevent family crisis and breakdown, and emphasising the pleasures of family life.

Why is Home-Start needed?

Being a parent is the most difficult job in the world-and there is no training for it! Many parents feel overwhelmed or exhausted by the stresses of everyday life. Too often they have no close family members or friends they can turn to for help or encouragement, or a breathing space when they need it. Lack of support at a crucial stage may increase the risk of family breakdown. What help is both readily available and accessible? Home-Start.

Who can ask for Home-Start help?

Anyone, as long as they have at least one child under the age of five. A parent may be struggling with the demands of young children at home. There may be practical difficulties, with illness or disability in the family. Perhaps a parent feels isolated or has post-natal depression. Or maybe an extra pair of hands is needed to cope with twins or triplets.

What does Home-Start offer?

Home-Start offers a volunteer, who is usually a parent, to visit the family's home. They understand the joys and frustrations of bringing up children, because they have been there too.

The volunteers normally visit once a week for two to three hours, sharing their time and friendship for as long as is needed. This may be a couple of months or it may be a couple of years.