Parents of babies born in Bath and North East Somerset can now register the birth and find out about support for bringing up children throughout their younger years all in one place, thanks to the opening of a second register office in Bath. Bath & North East Somerset Council officially opened the office today (May 24) at the Bath Children and Family Centre in Charlotte Street which offers families easy access to the other services available at the hub - not only to the birth parent, but to the whole family network.

The register office has been opened in response to a government report which stated that registering births in family hubs provides an opportunity to alert parents to the support services available and improves the health outcomes of babies.

The Children and Family Centre's location next to Charlotte St car park offers a convenient alternative to the council's main register office in Bath at the Guildhall. The Centre was originally the register office for a hundred years until 2005. Up to 4,500 babies per year are born in Bath and North East Somerset. Sean Heneghan was the first parent to register a baby at the new office last week. Sean said: "The Children and Family Centre was very easy to find and was very accessible because of Charlotte Street car park."

Councillor David Wood, cabinet member for Neighbourhood Services, said: "Congratulations to Mr Heneghan on his new addition. Registering the birth of a baby is a special occasion but it can also be an effort to travel with a newborn in tow, so I hope this new register office will prove convenient for families. There's a wealth of support on offer at our Children and Family Centres that parents can find out about at this early opportunity, including baby massage, local toddler groups, parenting courses, programmes to support a child's development, courses for families with additional needs and postnatal support."

The new register office will be open from 9.15am to 4.00pm, Tuesdays to Fridays. Appointments should be booked online and birth certificates paid for in advance at https://beta.bathnes.gov.uk/register-birth