About Home-Start Maidstone

WHAT is Home-Start...
Home-Start is a voluntary organisation offering support, friendship and practical help to families at home with at least one child under 5. The first Home-Start scheme was launched in 1973 and there are now nearly 340 schemes with more than 15,700 volunteers visiting families throughout the UK. Each local scheme is staffed by at least one paid Co-ordinator who is responsible for running the scheme and recruiting volunteers. The service is free, non judgemental and confidential.

Home-Start schemes are rooted in the communities they serve. They are managed locally but supported by the national organisation. This offers direction, training, information and guidance to schemes and ensures consistent and quality support for parents and children, wherever they are.

Home-Start has a proven, lasting, positive impact on the development of children and health and welfare of the family.

Home-Start Maidstone
The Maidstone scheme was founded in 1987 to help families in this area. Our patrons are HRH Princess Alexandra, the Hon. Lady Ogilvy, KG, GCVO and The Lady Pender. As a registered charity we are dependent on financial support and donations from local organisations and individuals.

HOW can Home-Start help...
Being a parent, wherever you live, whatever your circumstances, isn’t always easy. Add in pressures such as illness or financial worries, and without the support of family and friends, the stress can seem overwhelming. Some parents lose confidence in their ability to cope and most can remember days when they would have liked someone to turn to. A Home-Start volunteer will visit you regularly (usually once a week for a couple of hours) in your home and offer support through difficult times for as long as it is helpful or needed. You decide with your volunteer when visits will happen and how you spend the time. Home-Start volunteers are usually parents too. You can choose whether or not to accept Home-Start support. A volunteer will only visit at the invitation of the family.

WHO can Home-Start help...
Families from all backgrounds, with at least one child under 5, who are experiencing difficulties. These might be lonely or isolated parents or families with twins, multiple births or several pre-school children. They could be families where there is ill health or disability/special needs. Lone parents, and mums who may have postnatal depression, or families who are new to an area.

Who are our volunteers...
They come from many different backgrounds and ages but all are either parents or have parenting experience and are carefully selected for their friendliness and understanding. All volunteers attend a course of preparation before being linked with a family and take their own individual skills and experience to the families they visit. They are not paid for their work and will not replace your health visitor or a social worker. Volunteers will visit you in your home because you have invited them and they wish to offer you their time and friendship and will accept you as you are, so please feel relaxed about visits. If you are reading this because you are interested in becoming a volunteer, please see our volunteers page.

What to do next...
Any family with at least one child under 5 can ask Home-Start for support. To find out if Home-Start can help, you can contact us directly by using the contact details as displayed on this website or talk to your Health Visitor, GP or Social Worker, or you could ask a friend or family member to contact the scheme for you.

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