BookStart for those with children under 4.5

Rhiannon_of_Woolamai

Do you all know about BookStart? The scheme keeps expanding, and the way that the packs are distributed does vary in different areas. You are eligible for:

Bookstart Baby Pack: a cloth bag with 2 board books in when your baby is approx. 8 months. These are usually available from your Health Visitor and libraries

Bookstart Plus: a briefcasey bag (often red, but new colours just coming in) when your baby is approx. 18 months. It's got 2 books in. From health visitors and local libraries

Treasure Chest: a large box decorated as a treasure chest with 2 books, a pad and colouring pencils. This is for children roughtly 3.5 to 4.5 years and is often only available in your library.

Ask! as there is often no sign that these exist. They're free. And everyone is entitled to them

dlb

We ahd letters given out at nursery about the tresure chest, we collected one and my daughter loves it.
Go get them!!:T

Sazere

The treasure chest is sometimes given out at pre-schools or day nurseries. I asked for my nearly 4 year old and was told he should be given one at nursery or if not (not in our case) then needed to ask health visitor for a form/green card and then the library could give him one. Asked health visitor but she knew nothing about a form or a green card?

Any ideas, I have e-mailed the Bookstart website and they responded by asking me to speak to health visitor?

Joey_3

We have loads in stock in our public library, but we hardly ever get asked about them - I'm pretty sure there are posters to advertise them but we have so much to advertise that it could easily be missed.

I'm not sure about the procedure sorry (green card) but I would have thought as long as you have a child within that age then you are entitled to one, you can also register your child at the library at the same time if you collect it from there - more free books!

djstats

More information on the scheme is available here:

http://www.surestart.gov.uk/surestartservices/childcare/bookstart/

What if my baby hasn't received a pack?
Any baby that did not receive a pack at their 7-9 month health check because there is no scheme operating in your area is eligible for a free pack from Booktrust. If your baby did not receive a pack first contact your local library to check whether there is a local scheme. If there is not a scheme operating in your area contact Booktrust directly.

Rhiannon_of_Woolamai

Sazere wrote:

I asked for my nearly 4 year old and was told he should be given one at nursery or if not (not in our case) then needed to ask health visitor for a form/green card and then the library could give him one. Asked health visitor but she knew nothing about a form or a green card?

I've not heard of the "green card".

Basically the packs a distributed by someone at your county council - sometimes a specific BookStart co-ordinator or Childrens Librarian. They distribute them to the Health Visitors, some preschools, and libraries. These providers then give them out. Most Health visitors don't get given the treasure chests to distribute as they simply don't see children aged 3 to 4 years much.

If you can find out the name of the person in your council e.g. BookStart co-ordinator who does this - they will know about their particular distribution system.

In our area you just go to the library and they give you one as long as you have a child of the right age.

Sazere

Thanks for those answers, yes there is a Booktrust scheme operating in my area. Yes the library do have the packs in stock but they will not hand them out (all 3 kids are members of the library) without something from the health visitor. Health visitor has no idea what the library need, asked the library again, still saying 'green card'. E-mailed Booktrust and they have told me they cannot send direct as scheme already operating in my area, advised me to contact health visitor, lol! My 2 youngest are starting a new nursery in Sept so will ask at this nursery to see if they have them.