Archive Website of the UK government

The Early Support Family Pack

The Family Pack is a set of materials to help families to co-ordinate information and services. It also helps professionals to plan the services they provide.

The Family File is an important part of the Family Pack. It is an easy way for families to share basic facts and information about their child and family situation with other people. Families say it reduces the stress and frustration caused by repeating themselves. It also helps to take away the pressure of trying to remember everything in stressful situations.

The pack also includes information booklets about the services and support available to you.

• Sharing information about your child - the Early Support Family File

• The Family Pack - Department for Education website Opens new window

The 'Background Information' booklets

These booklets provide basic general information about how services are organised and how they work. They explain what services are available to support parents and carers with young disabled children. It also helps them to find out what they should expect from each service and explain what to ask for.

The booklets include explanations and definitions of services, professional roles and acronyms. Parents and carers can use the booklets to get the information they need, when they need it.

You can access and download booklets about:

• people you may meet
• childcare
• financial help (including Disability Living Allowance)
• education
• health services
• social services
• statutory assessment - education
• useful contacts and organisations

The background information booklets are part of the Early Support Family Pack which you will receive when you start the programme.

You can also download them from the Every Child Matters website.

• Background Information booklets - Department for Education website Opens new window

The 'Information for Parents' booklets

These booklets can be helpful when a particular condition has been diagnosed. They were developed to provide key information that other families who have ‘been there before’ say it is useful to know, including contacts.

Some families like to use the booklets to explain things about their child’s situation to grandparents, friends, childminders and schools. You can download or order a print copy of any of the booklets from the Every Child Matters website. Titles include:

• Autistic spectrum disorders
• Cerebral palsy
• Deafness
• Down syndrome
• If your child has a rare condition
• Learning disabilities
• Multi-sensory impairment
• Speech and language difficulties
• Visual impairment
• When your child has no diagnosis

• Information for Parents booklets - Department for Education website Opens new window

Recording your child's development with the Early Support Developmental Journals

The Developmental Journals help families record, celebrate and share information about what their child is able to do. Parents and carers can bring them to appointments and share the information in them. This is so that key information about their child's development does not have to be repeated.

You can fill in the sections yourself or with other people who are working with your child.

The Developmental Journals:

• focus on what your child can do, not what they cannot do
• encourage joint working
• improve communication
• enable full-time carers' observations to be included in assessments
• make it easier to talk about next steps for learning and development

You can find out more about the Developmental Journals and download copies from the Every Child Matters website.

• The Early Support Developmental Journals - Department for Education website Opens new window

The 'Informed Choices' booklet

The booklet 'Helping you choose: making informed choices for you and your child' is particularly relevant to families with young deaf children. It is also of interest to parents and carers in general. It encourages parents and carers of disabled children to ask questions like:

• are we getting the right help and support to make choices and decisions that are right for our family?
• are we being offered all the choices and opportunities that are available for deaf children and their families?
• are we being treated with respect and are our views and opinions valued?

You can download the booklet from the Every Child Matters website.

• Materials for download - Department for Education website Opens new window

Useful contacts

• Organisations and charities for carers