Family Focus is a registered charity managed by a committee of elected members. It is financed entirely by small grants and donations as well as fund-raising by our members, who are past and present users of the group, plus friends and supporters.

All parents, (Dads as well as Mums) who have children under five years, who are facing difficulties of one sort or another (stress, depression, separation, loneliness, phobias, child behaviour, eating, sleeping problems) are very welcome.

We do need a commitment from you to attend on a regular basis and to take part in all aspects of the day's activities. We, on our part, will work with you to improve your situation by suggesting practical strategies to try out at Family Focus and also at home.

We meet at The Nursery, Cheam Resource Centre, 671 London Road, North Cheam on Wednesdays during Term Time, from 10.30 am - 2.30 pm. There is no charge, but a small donation to help with our costs is appreciated.

Our Parenting Skills courses, which are very popular, are held on Tuesdays and a creche facility is available for those who need it.

Despite the various issues facing people who attend the group, Family Focus is a happy place, with a positive and friendly atmosphere. If you feel that your family could benefit by joining us at Family Focus, the first thing to do is talk to your Health Visitor, Social Worker or GP who will refer you to the group and help you complete an application form.

If you want more information, you can also contact Sally Skull, one of the Family Workers at Cheam Resource Centre, any Tuesday or Wednesday during Term Time between 10 am and 3 pm on 020 8408 0949, or leave a message on the answerphone.

Our aims and objectives are dynamic and have been developed through consultation with users and volunteers and reflect an agreed direction for our organisation.

Aims
In the interests of combating poverty and promoting social welfare, the aims of Family Focus are to encourage self help by offering support, education and training to vulnerable families with children under five years of age:

• who live in the London Borough of Sutton
• who are, at present, in stressful circumstances
• who have difficulty in accessing facilities and services
• who do not meet the criteria for Social Services intervention

Our core aims and objectives are:

• to work alongside parents, particularly those who are socially or economically disadvantaged, to develop the whole range of family life skills in order to meet their individual needs and those of their children
• to improve each parent's self-awareness and self-esteem so that, with confidence, they can enjoy parenthood
• to acknowledge and respect the worth of the children and their parents and enhance their dignity
• to provide parents with a service to empower them to cope with the everyday demands of modern society
• to work towards the furtherance of equality of opportunities, providing the service equitably and on a non-discriminatory basis to meet differing needs, taking into account ethnic, social, cultural and linguistic backgrounds