Author Archives: Sharon

Free Family Days Out Ideas

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Finding activities and days out to suit the whole family can be difficult, especially with the rising cost of living.

Parenting NI in partnership with Discover Northern Ireland have created this free family fun day out guide.  All the places on the map are free to enter (parking charges apply in some locations) and are great spots to visit as a family.

Autumn is a great season to explore the great outdoors, but even on rainy days there are some indoor activities that will keep the whole family entertained. Where will you visit? What other local places make for great family days out?

Explore what is available at www.discovernorthernireland.com

 

 

 

Southern Area FYI – Issue 91

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Welcome to the 91st edition of our information bulletin, ‘FYI’ (For Your Information).

Download you copy here

(Note: Newsletter will download directly to your device.  Look out for the pop-up box and click on open file when it appears).

This week is Parenting Week which celebrates the roles of parents in their children’s lives.  As always, we have included a range of services and support for parents and check out the new animation for Parentline NI on page 28.

We are also continuing to publicise support available for families in relation to the cost of living crisis. If you provide such support, please add your details to the resource detailed on page 4.

We are always happy to share relevant information in ‘FYI’ and thanks for your continuing support!

The next issue of ‘FYI’ will be circulated on Thursday 10th November 2022.

Joanne Patterson & Darren Curtis, Locality Development Team, Southern Area

How to Keep Children Safe this Halloween

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It’s officially October which can only mean one thing… It’s nearly Halloween!!

Have you decided what your little ones are going to be dressing up as yet? Whether they’re going as a witch, a zombie or perhaps something less scary don’t get tricked into buying an unsafe costume.

Remember:

🎃 Halloween costumes are highly flammable so stay well away from naked flames and other heat sources at all times.

🎃 Try to buy from a reputable store or website. Cheap costumes may not meet UK safety standards.

🎃 Look for a costume with a UKCA or CE mark and be aware that cheap costumes may carry fake safety labels.

🎃 The British Retail Consortium has introduced stricter fire safety tests for children’s dressing-up costumes. Look for a label that says: “This garment has undergone additional safety testing for flammability”.

🎃 Masks are spooktacular but they can make it harder for children to see or hear traffic. So, consider using face paint for trick or treating and save the masks for indoors.

🎃 Help make children more visible to drivers by adding reflective tape to their costumes or accessorising with glow sticks.

For more top tips on how to #ScareSafely this Halloween visit: http://ow.ly/Uh3w50KWVAR

Minimum Age of Criminal Responsibility (MACR) Consultation

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The Department of Justice (DoJ) has launched a new consultation on increasing the Minimum Age of Criminal Responsibility (MACR) in Northern Ireland, and is seeking your views.

The consultation document provides background and information on the issue, which is an important one given the potential impact it has on children’s lives, and they are therefore very keen to hear your views.  DoJ are encouraging everyone with an interest to read the consultation document and submit a response and are particularly keen to hear the views of children and young people, as they are the group most impacted by the issue; a youth friendly version of the consultation document has been developed to assist with this.

All information and relevant documents, along with the ways to respond, can be found on the Department’s website at: Consultation on increasing the Minimum Age of Criminal Responsibility in NI | Department of Justice (justice-ni.gov.uk)

The deadline for response is Friday 23rd December 2022.

Email: macrviews@justice-ni.gov.uk