HIVE Directory: Advice and Support

Citizens Advice Portsmouth has operated in Portsmouth for more than 83 years. They offer free, impartial and confidential advice in person, on the telephone and online to the people of Portsmouth.

The Early Years Alliance is the largest and most representative early years membership organisation in England.

A registered educational charity, we represent 14,000 members and support them to deliver care and learning to over 800,000 families every year.

- We offer information and advice.
- We produce specialist publications.
- We run acclaimed training schemes.
- We campaign to influence early years policy and practice.

Our vision is a society where every child enjoys the opportunity to learn through play. We believe families should be at the centre of policy-making and empowered to become fully involved with their child's learning and development.

To support early years providers to deliver high quality, affordable and sustainable care and learning to families, and to ensure that all children, regardless of background, are given the best possible start in life.

We work with Alliance members to:

- Champion childhood and children’s right to play
- Advocate for children, families and all childcare and early education providers
- Put the family first to enhance children’s life chances
- Encourage safeguard-led practice
- Raise standards and quality of childcare and early education
- Ensure families have choice and information to make the right decision about the care and education they need
- Provide high-quality training support and advice.

Portsmouth City Council needs more foster carers to provide homes for Portsmouth children from babies through to teenagers.

Foster carers do an amazing job in helping children and young people reach their full potential

The Forces Families Project

The Forces Families project (formerly Joining Forces for Families), an Armed Forces Covenant funded project that has been running since October 2018. It is delivered in partnership by Citizens Advice Hart, Rushmoor Citizens Advice and Portsmouth Citizens Advice. It aims to help serving personnel and their families when they encounter life's stressful events. It is free, confidential and independent and impartial. The Forces Families Project is tri-service and operated in North East Hampshire and Portsmouth and other south coast areas such as Gosport Fareham and Havant. We often attend military events such as health fairs, family fun days and of course Armed Forces day.