Specialist childcare and support
How to get help and support if you believe your child has additional needs.
On this page
Your child’s health and development
Watching your child grow and develop is an exciting part of parenting. As they move from newborn to toddler and beyond, you might notice changes in their health or emotions. Getting early help can make a big difference for you and your child.
Where to get help
If you have any concerns about your child’s health or development, talk to your GP or another healthcare professional as soon as possible.
Your family’s GP
Every child should be registered with a GP from birth. If your child is under 16, a parent or guardian must register them.
Your GP is your first point of contact for any health concerns. They can refer your child to specialist NHS services such as occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, physiotherapy, or a community paediatrician.
How to register for a GP surgery.
Children and young people’s public health service (including health visitors)
A health visitor completes a range of mandated healthy child development reviews in children under 5, including a 2-2.5-year and 4-year health and development review.
This is an opportunity to ensure and assess that children are developing accordingly and to provide age-appropriate health promotion messages, including:
- speech
- language and communication
- play and behaviour
- healthy nutrition
- toileting
- child safety and accident prevention seasonal advice
- immunisation advice
- parental and family wellbeing
- access to early years education.
For more information, contact the service on 01865 903 800 or text:
- ParentLine 0-4 years. Text: 07312 263081
- ParentLine 5-11 years. Text: 07312 263227
- ChatHealth 11-19 years. Text: 07312 263084
Early education and childcare
If you're considering pre-school education or opportunities for your child to play, learn, and interact with others, playgroups and nurseries can be a great option. They support your child's development while also giving you the chance to meet other parents and carers.
Finding childcare
Most nurseries, playgroups, children’s centres, and childcare providers welcome young children with special needs, but some offer additional support.
You may want to explore more specialised options if your child has complex or severe needs.
Below are details of childminders, toddler groups, and nurseries, including the support available for children with special needs and disabilities.
To help support your decision-making, take the opportunity to look at the website and its policies regarding Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND), accessibility plans, inclusion, and learning support. If these aren’t available, it's important to contact the organisation to find out more about how they can meet your child's needs.
Use the links below to help find what you are looking for:
Our information for parents pages have a list of information about services, activities, events and funding.
Support for parents from baby to preschool
Information and support for children from birth.
Early support
Family Solutions Service
Early help and statutory support for children and families in Oxfordshire.
The Family Solutions Service (FSS) supports families across Oxfordshire. Our work with children and their families includes early help support like Team Around the Family (TAF) and Early Help Assessment (EHA). It also includes statutory planning within Child in Need (CIN) and Child Protection (CP) frameworks.
Where necessary, we undertake court proceedings to safeguard children. More information on The Family Support Service.
The service is delivered from eight children and family centres and other venues.
Children and family centres
Children and family centres are located across Oxfordshire and provide a variety of services for children up to the age of five and their families.
They offer support to help children learn, play, have fun, and get ready for school.