New parents offered alternative to Town Hall for trial period
New parents whose children are born in the borough will soon have the option to register the births at a children’s centre.
Residents will continue to have the option of registering their children at Hammersmith Town Hall register office, but for a trial period they will also take place at Old Oak Community and Children’s Centre in Braybrook Street, W12.
The centre offers services to families with children under five years old, including advice, early years’ education and a range of activities and other support such as baby massage, drop-in play sessions and coffee mornings.
As well as registering their new birth, parents can sign-up for these activities.
Sue Macmillan, Cabinet member for Children’s Services, says: " Registering births at a children’s centre will be more convenient for many parents and it will give them the chance to learn about a wide range of support offered in the borough.
" The borough’s children’s centres provide key support and guidance for parents to help them give their children the best start in life, and we want to let as many parents as possible know about them as early as possible."
A parliamentary report published in 2013 called for birth registration to be made available in children’s centres to alert parents to the support services available. Evidence from Manchester, York and Bury suggests children’s centres that offer birth registration generally reach more families than other similar sized local centres which do not.
If this pilot is successful, the council will look at rolling birth registration out to other children’s centres in the borough.
Registration of new births at Old Oak Community and Children’s Centre is available now and takes place every fortnight. The last registrations of the trial will be completed by mid-October.
Appointments should take no longer than 20 minutes and parents should arrive at least ten minutes early.
Registering a birth is free but if you require birth certificates they cost £4. Please bring the correct amount of cash for the number of certificates required.
The Old Oak Community and Children’s Centre is close to the 283, 72, 70, 228 and 7 bus routes and the East Acton Central Line stop.
New parents can book an appointment to register a birth online at or call the Town Hall Register Office on: 020 8753 2140.
Contact the Old Oak Children’s Centre on 020 8740 8008 or at oldoakcentre@familymosaic.co.uk to find out more about the services it offers.
June 7, 2015
|