Robert Connolly, 43, Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire

"When I started taking our children Neve, now seven, and Sam, now four, to the Greenfield Children's Centre near where we live, I was the only dad attending.

I'd worked as a postman while my wife Laura worked in the city, but I had become a stay at home dad after Sam was born because he had a medical problem that meant he needed more care.

I would take Neve to the pre-school and Sam to the 'baby lounge' sessions where we could meet other dads, mums and babies and get advice from the health visitor. Everyone was so friendly and supportive. We soon felt at home and really enjoyed it.

As Sam was growing up, he could no longer go to baby lounge, so me and another parent suggested setting up a similar 'stepping stones' group for toddlers. The staff were really supportive of the idea, the facilities were already in place, and it has become a successful on-going session.

Our kids thrived at the children's centre. They loved playing with other children and learnt how to share and join in activities. As their confidence grew, I started thinking about my own learning and did courses in first aid, parenting and healthy eating.

By the time Neve was in school and Sam went to pre-school nursery, I felt part of the furniture at the children's centre. With extra time on my hands, I decided to do voluntary work there with children with special needs and their parents - something I had enjoyed doing when I was younger. Then, when the children's centre had a vacancy for a handyman five hours a week, I applied and was successful at that as well.

The staff encouraged me to take an NVQ Level 2 in child care, learning and development (CCLD). It involved more voluntary work and it was a bit nerve-racking going back to college because I wasn't sure I would be up to the standard needed, but they supported me and pushed me forward. I really surprised myself by qualifying last May.

Now I'm employed as a pre-school worker at the children's centre 18 hours a week. I also work as a handyman and study at home in the evenings towards my NVQ Level 3. I would like to get as much experience around the children's centre as possible and eventually, I would love to work with children with special needs.

I see quite a few other dads at the children's centre these days, including those who work full-time and come in to play with their children at the dads' group on Saturdays. People get involved for the sake of their children's development and end up finding something for themselves as well.

I would never have dreamt of this when I left school, but I'm now doing something really fulfilling, where every day is different. When a child says something for the first time or uses a little bit of sign language that I've taught them, it's so rewarding – and it's all down to the support and belief of staff at the Sure Start Children's Centre."


Greenfield Sure Start Children's Centre in Hertfordshire is a Sure Start Children's Centre. There are now more than 3,100 children's centres in England, providing access to services for over 2.4 million children under five and their families. Soon there will be at least 3,500 children's centres – one for every community in England. They offer childcare, family support, health services, and employment and training support. To discover more visit www.direct.gov.uk/surestart or call 0800 2 346 346