Home-Start Crawley, Horsham & Mid Sussex

There for parents when they need us most,
because childhood can't wait

Life was very stressful, I found daily life difficult and I felt lonely. I was feeling very overwhelmed at being a single mum and being in a new area where I didn’t know anyone

Mum

Horsham

There is no rule book for raising a family and sometimes it can seem overwhelming, particularly if your family is going through difficult times.

If you have a child under five and live in Crawley, Horsham or Mid Sussex, we may be able to help.

Are you struggling with any of these issues?

  • Feeling isolated, with no family nearby and struggling to make friends
  • Dealing with the extra demands of having twins or triplets
  • Being a young parent 
  • Feeling anxious or depressed but finding it hard to talk to anyone about it
  • Having a hard time coping with your own or your child’s illness
  • Feeling overwhelmed by the death of a loved one
  • The emotional and physical demands of having young children

Support at Home

Offering families support in their own home is at the heart of what we do

Home-Start volunteers help families facing isolation, the effects of post-natal illness, disability or mental health issues, bereavement, multiple births, financial difficulties, or a whole range of other challenges.

After meeting with you to discuss your family’s specific needs, Home-Start will match the family to a trained and supervised volunteer. The volunteer will visit the family in their own home each week, to provide practical and emotional support.

The help we give each family is unique and depends entirely on their circumstances, requirements and what they want help with.

Ways we can help
  • Confidential emotional support for parents
  • Direct help for children including establishing routines, encouraging development
  • Practical assistance, such as getting to appointments, budgeting, meal planning
  • Help to develop links within the community
  • Parenting skills training.
  • Moral support in dealing with official meetings
  • Links to organisations that can help in other ways

Family Group Support

Home-Start Chams also offers several family groups support options where you can meet with other parents and guardians. There are three groups; New Parents Connect Group, Twiglets Multiple Birth Groups and Toddle on Groups. You can find the details about these groups by following this link: Home-Start CHAMS Family Group Support. 

Supported by

Children in Need
Crawley Borough Council
Horsham District Council
Sussex Community Foundation
Sussex Community Foundation
Garfield Weston Foundation