About Us
What we do
Being a parent has never been easy. It can be lonely, frustrating, heartbreaking and overwhelming. That’s why Home-Start Wokingham offers support to young families through their toughest times.
We are a small, local charity, offering a family support service to disadvantaged and vulnerable families in the Wokingham District, with at least one child under the age of five.
We are part of Home-Start UK which has some 13,500 home-visiting volunteers supporting over 27,000 families and 56,000 children to transform their lives.
Our Aim
is to help give every child the best possible start in life.
Our Objective
Is to enhance the chances for all young children to reach their full potential by supporting the whole family, encouraging them to face their particular challenges, increasing the parents’ confidence, strengthening their relationships with their children and widening their links in the local community.
Starting in the home, our approach is as individual as the people we’re helping
Our families face a wide range of issues, including mental and physical health problems, multiple births, a lack of confidence and isolation from their community. Many of our families have children with behavioural issues and/or learning difficulties that make their parenting challenges even harder. In most cases the families are referred to us because they have little or no other support.
We Believe
That getting it right for every child starts with getting it right for every parent and that having a safe and happy family life is one of the most important prerequisites for children to thrive.
Supporting Parents
Parenting can be tough at the best of times but with additional challenges facing many young families such as poor mental and physical health, neurodiversity, disability, cost of living crisis, illness and family breakdown, many parents really struggle to cope.
Home-Visiting Support
Home-Start Wokingham offers a free and unique Home-Visiting Support Service to vulnerable and disadvantaged families, with at least one pre-school child, living in the Wokingham Borough. These families are often socially excluded, living in isolation and have little if any other support.
We are passionate about improving the life chances of our families and this starts at the earliest stage by helping parents give their children the best possible start in life. We do this by listening to the needs of each family and providing compassionate and non-judgemental support each week in the families’ own homes.
Group Support
Our groups create a warm and inclusive space for parents to meet, connect, and learn. Through activities, discussion, and shared experiences, parents can develop new ways of interacting with their children while building supportive relationships with others at a similar stage in their parenting journey.
Tailored to your needs
Every family is different and so the support offered is tailored to suit the needs of each individual family, helping families face their challenges and empowering them to cope better in the future.
We offer bespoke guidance, parenting tips, encouragement, role-modelling of good parenting behaviours and emotional and practical support. Through weekly visits, we provide a listening ear and a hand to hold, building relationships based on trust and friendship. Where appropriate, we signpost parents to other organisations in their community, widening their support networks.
Who we support
We support families for around 3 months. Our service has been tried and tested since 1996 and according to the families we support, it can be life changing. With our support, the health and well-being of the whole family improves, helping ensure their children reach their full potential so that they can really thrive. We are currently the only organisation offering this level of support in the Wokingham Borough, improving the lives of up to 100 families a year.
Get Support
we can help you regain confidence and be the parent you want to be. Find out more about some of the areas we can help with.
Support for parents
Being a parent has never been easy. It can be lonely, frustrating, heart breaking and over-whelming. All parents struggle at one time or another. You are not alone. Home-Start’s expert staff and trained volunteers work alongside families just like yours to give non-judgmental, compassionate and confidential support.
Next: Who we help
With thanks to our supporters
