Councils should bring together children’s centres and registrars to help support vulnerable families at an early stage, according to children’s charity Barnardo’s.
A new report has revealed only 20 councils in the country currently offer birth registration at children’s centres, but all of the registrars who do provide such a service at children’s centres recommend it.
The report claims using children’s centres for mandatory birth registrations would help identify vulnerable families at an early stage and ensure they get the support they need.
‘Registering babies’ births at their local children’s centres means parents can find out what’s on offer that can support them further,’ said Barnardo’s chief executive, Javed Khan.
Responding to the report, the chairman of the Local Government Association’s children and young people board, Cllr David Simmonds, said: ‘Having registrars available in children’s centres is a good way to get mums and dads through the door to introduce them to the wide variety of other services on offer to them.
‘However, it is for individual councils and local residents to decide how their children’s centres are used and we have to remember that registrars are employed by councils to register deaths and marriages too.’
