Parents across Rotherham can now register their baby's birth at two additional locations in the borough. Birth registration appointments are available at Best Start Family Hub Swinton and Best Start Family Hub Maltby, alongside the existing service at the Register Office in Riverside House.
Rotherham Council launched the new service to give parents greater choice over where they complete the legal registration process. The move also aims to help families connect with support services available in their local community from their child's earliest stages.
Supporting families from the start
The initiative forms part of Rotherham Council's wider efforts to ensure children and young people across the borough have access to early support. Last year, the Council introduced its Baby Pack scheme, offering free universal packs filled with essential items for the first six months of a baby's life to expectant parents.
Best Start Family Hubs continue to see growing use from families. Over the last year, there were over 26,500 attendances at Baby Offer sessions, Toddler Groups, PEEP and Sensory Groups combined. Total attendance across the hubs reached over 80,000 visits over the same period — nearly 15,000 more than the previous year.
The hubs provide a range of support including midwife and health visitor appointments, infant feeding support, and antenatal classes. They also provide services for children and young people with SEND as part of the wider Children and Young People's Services offer, which was rated Outstanding by Ofsted last year.
Cllr Victoria Cusworth, Deputy Leader of Rotherham Council and Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, said: "Registering a birth is one of the first important milestones for a family and we want the process to be as straightforward and convenient as possible. By offering birth registration appointments in our Best Start Family Hubs, we're creating another opportunity for parents to find out about services that can help them and their child from the earliest stages."