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We know that a healthy, supportive home is vital to a child's early development. It shapes what they can achieve at school and the person they grow up to be.
But for so many families living in poverty across the UK, the stresses of daily life can mean it's hard to give children the support they need.
Building Blocks provides low income families with basic household items, learning resources and information that give parents the skills, confidence and headspace to help their children thrive.
The programme works at a local level, linking with key services already in family's lives so they can get the help they need, when they need it.
We're piloting Building Blocks in six areas across the UK to test that it's making the difference we want to see for children and families at home.
Our vision is for every child in the UK, regardless of their background, to have the best start in life.
Mary Ellen in her garden. Photo: Francesca Jones / Save the Children
"I love these books, I like reading."
Mary-Ellen, 5, lives with her mother Helen and eight-year-old sister Caitlin in Cardiff.
The family was awarded a fridge freezer and Early Learning Pack through the Save the Children Building Blocks programme in June and are already beginning to see the benefits.
Our innovative approach to supporting families at home celebrates parents as their children’s first teacher. We look into the challenges and barriers parents face when it comes to supporting their child’s learning at home, and work with them to design and test solutions that fit into everyday family life.
Our flagship innovation programme is called Wonder Words - a campaign that helps families talk, sing and play more with their babies and toddlers to boost their early language development.
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