Children and families in Frizington will benefit from new facilities as the local nursery and Early Excellence Centre now becomes a Sure Start Children’s Centre.
As well as providing nursery education and full daycare for children from birth to five years old, it will provide a range of other support services for local families including health visitors, parenting courses, story and toy sacks, family learning courses and information about training and returning to work, through links with Job Centre Plus and Connexions.
County councillor Philip Chappelhow, cabinet spokesman for children's services said:
"The children's centre initiative is entirely consistent with the county council's commitment to improve social, emotional and educational opportunities available for the children and young people of this area and gives us a real opportunity to develop universal services. The centres will enable families in each community access the services they need, when and where they need it. I am sure that parents and children in Frizington will be delighted with the new development."
To accommodate some of the additional childcare for babies and younger children, an extension will be built on the ground adjacent to the centre. Much of the planning for this project has already taken place and the application for planning permission has been successful. As a result, there are plans to purchase new equipment for the children’s play area, on the same site.
The new play area will be fenced off and open every day of the year during daylight hours. It will have a range of state of the art, safe and exciting equipment for children between the ages of two and nine. The Parish Council is hoping it may be possible, at some stage in the future, to obtain funding for another play area for older children on the Jubilee Field.