27/10/2026
Start for Life Fund 2026-2027
In County Durham, we are increasingly finding families that are struggling to cope with the rising cost of living, and this can result in unsafe practices of sleeping arrangements for babies and a lack of basic safety equipment when children become mobile.
To support families with these costs Durham County Council (DCC) are providing a ‘Start for Life Fund’.
DCC Children and Young Peoples Service (Social Inclusion Team) will coordinate and administer this fund ensuring that our most vulnerable families (with children 0-5 years) who are facing financial difficulties have access to safe sleeping and home safety equipment to keep children warm, safe and secure.
We welcome applications submitted by a professional working with the family. The Family must be living in County Durham with children aged 0-5. Applications received directly from families will not be considered.
Online application forms can be found at
https://doitonline.durham.gov.uk/service/Early_Help_Stronger_Families_and_Start_for_Life_Grants (and click “Or, continue without an
account”).
What can we fund?
The items requested should be based on need identified.
Home Safety Items
• Safety gate
• Fireguard
• Bed guard
• Bath & Room Thermometer Pack
• Blind Cleats (pack)
• Home Safety Pack (door latches, corner cushions etc)
• Lockable Storage Boxes (1 per household)
The Start for Life Fund now provides lockable storage boxes, to help families safely store medicines and v**e liquids at home. The focus is on supporting families with children under 5, but also on helping people get into the habit of locking these items away early, so it just
becomes part of everyday routine as children grow.
Safe Sleeping Items (NB cot beds and bunk beds are not approved items for supply)
• Cot and mattress
• Cot/Moses basket bedding pack
• Essential bedding pack (single)
• Pushchair / stroller (double)
• Moses basket and mattress
• Single bed base and mattress
• Pushchair / stroller (single).
How much funding is available per household?
• Grants are typically awarded on the basis of need rather than a monetary value.
• Purchasing of items will be subject to available funding.
• Only 1 application per household, additional items cannot be “added” once funding has been approved.
• Households receiving previous funding cannot reapply for the items already awarded.
How are goods purchased?
DCC CYPS Social Inclusion Team has a contract in place for the direct supply of these items from East Durham Partnership and County Durham Furniture Help Scheme. The grant includes delivery.
Unfortunately, we are unable to assist with household preference, house holds will be unable to choose their own items/colour.
What happens when a grant has been authorised?
When a grant is authorised the Social Inclusion Team will send an authorisation email to the lead
applicant and will inform the lead applicant of the next steps.
Evaluation
To allow us to evidence the impact of the Start for Life Fund we need to collect feedback from each household. Evaluations will be issued with the grant confirmation. This is to be completed within four weeks of receipt, this is a mandatory requirement as part of the Start for Life Fund agreement.
Failure to respond may result in the decline of future applications.
Please send all queries to: [email protected]
This will save you time when you log future requests by remembering your details, and allow you to see your request history.
