Hundreds of people across the county have already signed up to a free app to support young parents. West Sussex County Council has joined up with national charity Best Beginnings to officially launch the use of the app called Baby Buddy, which has been created to help parents and parents to be during pregnancy, birth and the first 6 months of a baby’s life.
To mark the launch the County Council held a ‘Picnic Play Date’ at Langley Green Children and Family Centre in Crawley on Monday 29 January. Dozens of young parents and children joined healthcare professional and staff who were on hand to show parents the app in action and how it can help set goals, keep records of any concerns and track development all at the tap of a button.
Stephen Hillier, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People said: “The Baby Buddy app is a great resource. We know from experience that pregnant women and new mums can find it challenging to talk about the issues they are experiencing and this new app is an interactive way to get information and advice 24hrs a day. I am also delighted to hear that Best Beginnings are turning their thoughts to how the app may be adjusted to support Dads as well.”
Attendees at the event shared stories of their experiences using Baby Buddy and how it’s helped them. Georgia, a 20 year old young parent said: “I used it when I was pregnant. There are lots of tips, like how far along you are, baby development etc. I thought it was good. I like the baby development so you know what’s going on.”
Baby Buddy is just one of the many ways in which the County Council is working to support parents to give their children the best start in life.
Why not join the 140,000+ people across the UK who have downloaded The Baby Buddy app which is endorsed by organisations including the Department of Health and the Royal College of Midwives? The Baby Buddy app can be downloaded for FREE, and for further information please visit www.bestbeginnings.org.uk/baby-buddy
