A CAMPAIGN that calls for more support for new parents has chosen Oxford to launch its first local group in the UK.

The 1,001 Days Oxfordshire group is part of a national movement which will call on the Government to prioritise the first 1,001 days in a child’s development.

As part of the campaign, they will urge the Government and councils to make children’s centres a central source of support for families with children aged two and under.

It comes after Oxfordshire County Council approved £3.7m of cuts to children’s services in the county in the budget for the next three years.

The campaign was launched at a conference held by Oxford Parent Infant Project (OXPIP), an organisation that supports parents who struggle with the demands of a new baby, on Friday [feb27].

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The national campaign, which began in October 2013, calls for more co-operation between parties on improving support for new parents and young children.

The local group will bring parents together to campaign for improvements to services for parents and young children both in the county and across Britain.

Adrian Sell, executive director of OXPIP and chairman of 1,001 Days Oxfordshire, said support was important for all parents, not just those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

He said: “Problems can affect people from all different backgrounds.

“There are wealthy parents who suffer post-natal depression and anxiety, there can be previous mental health issues which re-emerge after the birth of a child.

“It is very important to address issues early on in life because it gets harder and harder the more time goes by.”

Risinghurst mother-of-three Caroline Newman said she backed the 1,001 Days campaign’s attempts to make support more accessible.

She said: “I used the children’s centres all the time, it was essential for me to get out and meet other people and often for advice on lots of things.

“It is important to actually make it known that there are these services and breast feeding support was essential for me in those early days when you are quite vulnerable.

“I think if you hunt for early support it is out there but you are often discharged from hospital and the support is not obvious especially if you work.”

The campaign wants local authorities, Clinical Commissioning Groups and Health and Wellbeing Boards to prioritise helping the development of children aged two and under.

It also wants children’s centres to offer access to health visitors, GP services, housing, finance and parenting classes, birth registration and other services.

The aim is to make it easier for parents to access services that could be crucial to their child’s development at a time when they may be struggling to cope with the birth of a newborn.

Oxfordshire County Council cabinet member for education Melinda Tilley said the cuts to her budget did not necessarily mean these services could not be offered.

She said: “It is not necessarily that we could not do this at all, we are looking at offering things in a different way in our children’s centres.”

To find out more, visit 1001criticaldays.co.uk.