Oh Baby, This is so Helpful!

By Sian Powell

A PIONEERING new way of taking the stresses and strains out of parenting has been launched in Nuneaton.

Public health minister Dawn Primarolo launched the Early Years Life Check project at the Stockingford Early Years Centre, in St Paul’s Road.

The scheme is a hi-tech way of giving parents and carers access to the most up-to-date information on health, development and playing and learning for babies.

The computer resource is being piloted at the Stockingford centre – one of only a handful of centres across the country to have access to the scheme.

Mrs Primarolo launched the programme, which is initially aimed at parents with tots aged from five months to eight months.

She said the resource was vital for parents – and particularly for first time parents – who might feel overwhelmed by the amount of information available to them on the internet, radio, TV and from friends and relatives.

But after a few simple questions on the website, parents can access all the information they need.

Mrs Primarolo said: "It’s about reassuring them and giving them basic information and telling them where to go if they want more.

"It’s good for the babies, it’s good for the parents because they are more confident, and that’s got to be good for the babies."

The website has already been given the thumbs-up by some of the mums who use the centre.

Mum-of-four Debbie Wilson, aged 40, an advocate from Kiln Close in Stockingford was at the centre with her six-month-old daughter Ruby.

She said: "It’s good, I like it. It’s easy to use and there’s lots of information on there. They did not have anything like this years ago when I had my other children."

Pharmacy technician Rebecca Allen from Bermuda Park estate said she wished the site had come out when her eight-month-old son Benjamin was younger.

The 24-year-old said: "Lots of people tell you lots of different things and older people tell you how it used to be – which is not how it is now. It’s nice to have something for now."

Mother-of-two Emma Colclough, aged 23, of The Circle in Stockingford, also sung the site’s praises. She added: "It would have been good when I had my daughter because you don’t really know what to expect with your first. Everybody tells you differentthings."

(c) 2008 Coventry Evening Telegraph. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.