Shirley Children’s Centre (part of the Central Locality)

Shirley Children’s Centre is a friendly and welcoming centre based in Shirley Croydon and managed by the local authority. The centre benefits from 2 large play rooms, a large garden area, 1 crèche room, 1 health room and a learning room.

Services Shirley Children’s Centre provides

The centre provides a range of Best Start services from pregnancy until your child turns five. We are there to increase parental confidence and knowledge to help you support your child to give them the best start in life and improve outcomes for young children and their families through the provision of the following services:

Child development and schools readiness
Parenting Aspirations, self-esteem and parenting skills
Child and family health and life changes

We deliver the following services with a child development and school readiness outcome:

Stay and play activities in line with Early Years Foundation stage such as singing and storytelling
Baby massage
Book start courses
Health engagement and support including midwifery and heath developmental reviews
Speech and language support
Family and parenting support
Information and advice about employment training, benefits and housing
Outreach services and promotion of Best Start
Parent voice - service user consultation
Transition support
High quality crèches for parenting courses
In addition children’s centres work with statutory and voluntary sector partners to deliver the wider core offer

Our motto "Helping families fulfil their potential" underpins our outcomes. Our long term outcomes means Shirley Children's centre can develop and sustain its services for families now and in the future.

This children's centre is part of the Best Start service–find out how you can access support.

What do families say about the centre

“Fantastic support from staff. Great setting, clean and child friendly. We are here all the time. I don’t feel there is anything they could do to improve”

“Always such a happy place for parents and children to be. Lots of different activities to do and lots of toys to play with”

“Really happy with the Now I’m 2 and Stay and Play sessions. My daughter has become really confident and is learning so much”

“Baby Sensory is great, babies happy but mums happier. Always feel welcome and always have a laugh. I love it."

This service is for:

Families with children aged up to 5.

How to get there:

Bus routes: 194,198
Nearest bus stop: Forest Academy on Bridle Road
Nearest tram stop: Sandilands
Nearest train station: West Wickham
Parking: There is no parking directly on site however there is plenty of free parking on local side roads

The children’s centre is situated at the end of Lilac Gardens- just off Broom Road.