Family Information Service (FIS)
Richmond Family Information Service provides a free telephone and internet service, dedicated to providing up to date information for parents, parents to be, carers and professionals to help support children up to their 20th birthday or 25th birthday if a child has a disability. FIS staff also run free, regular information and advice sessions at all the borough’s Children’s Centres. FIS offers impartial information, advice and guidance on:
- registered childcare options such as childminders, full day care nurseries and sessional care;
- brokerage service for parents looking for childcare places;
- funding information and advice for parents and carers;
- out of school and holiday care for children;
- activities for children from 0 to 20 years including toddler groups, sports activities;
- support groups and parenting information;
- career opportunities in childcare and play work.
Childcare
Use our childcare search to find childcare in your area.
- Creche services
- Full daycare nurseries (These are privately run nurseries that are registered and inspected by Ofsted. They are generally open from 8am to 6pm, although many also offer sessions (either a morning or an afternoon) all year round.)
- Primary schools with nursery units
- Holiday play schemes
- Independent schools
- Nanny/babysitting
- Out of school care
- Registered childminders
- Sessional daycare nurseries (These are privately run nurseries that are registered and inspected by Ofsted. Often called playgroups, they run for between 2 and 4 hours each day and tend to open during term time only.)
Help with Childcare Costs
- Nursery Education Grant
- Paying for Childcare (Daycare Trust website)
Two Year Old Funding
A family must be in receipt of at least one of the following essential criteria:
- Income Support
- Income based Jobseeker's Allowance
- Income related Employment Support Allowance
- Child Tax Credit but not entitled to Working Tax Credit and annual income less than £16,190
- Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
- The guaranteed element of State Pension Credit
- Working Tax Credit during the 4 week period immediately after employment finishes or after starting to work less than 16 hours per week.
A family will also need to meet at least one or more of the following additional local criteria:
- Child with speech and language delay
- Child with SEN/disabilities
- Child with developmental or learning delay
- Child with emotional and behavioural difficulties
- Child looked after
- Child on Child Protection Register
- Child in temporary accommodation
- Child involved with social care.
Please contact FIS on 020 8831 6298 or email fis@richmond.gov.uk who may be able to help you with funding for a childcare place.
Childcare Brokerage Service
The Family Information Service offers support to parents/carers who are finding it difficult to access childcare. The Family Information Service can explain the childcare system and help identify sources of funding and support. For more information contact FIS on 020 8831 6298 or email fis@richmond.gov.uk
Disability Support
- Additional Needs Grant
- Carer's allowance (Directgov)
- Contact a Family
- Disability Living Allowance (Directgov)
- Family Fund
- Information for families of children with disabilities in Richmond (Access website)
- Learning disability
- Me Too and Co
- Richmond Advice and Information on Disability (Richmond AID website)
- Special Educational Needs information
- The Disabled Children's Service
- Three Wings Trust
Charitable Organisations who may be able to offer assistance
Financial information
- Childcare vouchers Information for employers (Daycare Trust website)
- Child maintenance options
- CAB - Citizens Advice Bureau
- Nursery education funding
- Parents guide to money (Financial Services Authority website)
- Tax credits (HM Revenue & Customs website)
- Turn2us Elizabeth Finn Care
Leisure
- Leisure and play based activities
- Leisure and Youth Card
- Leisure Card
- Libraries
- Parent, baby and toddler group
- Parks and open spaces
- Play Rangers
- Positive activities for 13-19 year olds
- Sports and fitness centres
- Toy libraries
- Young People's Library Service
Support and parenting
- Children's centres
- Family Action
- Family Lives
- Families in the Foundation Years (Department for Education)
- Family Learning
- Family Rights Group (FRG Ltd)
- Grandparents (Digital Unite website)
- Home-Start
- Maternity Action
- Parent Channel TV
- Relate for parents
- Support for people affected by the death of a child
- Support/parenting groups
(pdf, 47KB) - Teenagers
- Twins and multiple births association
- Welcare in Richmond (Welcare)
- Wishes Project
New parents
- Ask baby
- Bounty
- Breastfeeding network
- Cotton nappies
- NCT - National Childbirth Trust
- Pregnancy care planner (NHS choices website)
- Registering a birth
Lone parents
Contact the Family Information Service
For more information, please contact the Family Information Service.
Family Information Service
Education, Children's and Cultural Services Directorate,
First floor
44 York Street
Twickenham
TW1 3BZ
Telephone: 020 8831 6298
Email: fis@richmond.gov.uk
Our hours are 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.