If you are pregnant or a parent, your Personal Adviser can help you to get the support you and your family might need. We can help you to keep in touch with your midwife, health visitor and doctor.
Dorset Council also have a family hub which has lots of information about support for families Family Hub - Dorset Council.
If you are working, you will get maternity pay from your employer when you take time off work to have your baby.
If you're not working, you may be able to claim Universal Credit if you are a single person and you are more than 29 weeks pregnant.
If you are pregnant or have children under the age of 4 you may be able to apply for Healthy Start vouchers. This means you could get free vouchers or payments every 4 weeks to spend on:
- cow's milk
- fresh, frozen, or tinned fruit
- fresh, frozen, or tinned vegetables
- infant formula milk
- fresh, dried and tinned pulses
You could also get free Healthy Start vitamins.
While you're pregnant and during the first year of your baby's life you do not have to pay for:
- dental check-ups
- prescriptions
We will make sure you have comfortable clothes to wear during your pregnancy by giving you a £100 clothing grant. When your baby is born, we would love to visit and bring you a new baby gift.
If you are already a parent, we will take an interest in your child/ren and support you to do the best for them. If you need help getting childcare, we can tell you about the services that can help you do this.
The Family Information Service is a great place to find out information for you and your family.
Depending on where you live in Dorset, our locality teams are also a great source of help and information.