Saol Úr Sure Start is a locally based programme working with parents from pregnancy and provides support for children until their fourth birthday. Our main focus is to give children the best start in life. Involvement with Sure Start helps to ensure our children flourish at home and do well when they get to school, we support all children aged 0-4 and their families by providing free services, activities and programmes that focus on early education, health, family support and play development. The aims of Sure Start are to complement the work of existing local services to improve the ability to learn, health and social development of the children that use its services and to improve

• The ability to learn by encouraging stimulating play, improving language skills and the early identification and support of children with learning difficulties.
• Health by supporting parents in caring for children and promoting children's health and development.
• Social development by supporting the development of early relationships between parents and children, good parenting skills, family functioning and early identification and support of children with emotional, learning or behavioural difficulties.

Our wrap around approach co-ordinates, streamlines and add value to existing services for young families in designated areas. The Sure Start programme is supported by a few key principles:

• To coordinate, streamline and add value to existing services for young children and their families in local communities
• To involve parents
• To avoid stigma
• To ensure lasting support
• To be sensitive to local families' needs
• To promote the participation of all local families

Core programme elements are:

• Outreach and home visiting services, to make contact as early as possible in a child's life and draw families into using other services.
• Family support including befriending, social support and parenting information, both group and home based.
• Good quality play, learning and childcare experiences for children (both group and home based);
• Primary and community health care and advice.
• Speech language and communication support.
• Support for all children in the community recognising their differing needs.

Our Sure Start provides a complete service through antenatal and post-natal programmes. Early years education ensures our young children have high-quality learning experiences before they start school. Saol Úr Sure Start is a programme for all families living within the Upper Springfield, Falls Park and Whiterock wards. The programme delivers at a local level through a network of local statutory agencies and community-based voluntary organisations working in the fields of health, early education and family and parenting support.