Centre for the Child
We have story and information books, magazines, books on CD, CD-ROMs, internet access, story and activity sessions, help with your homework and much, much more.
And it's all FREE!
Find out What's On at Centre for the Child
Meet our huggable member of staff Alice the Bear! She can be seen here with Debbie from Centre for the Child and Nick from Hallmark cards, who kindly donated her.
Fascinating facts about Centre for the Child
Where are we?
We are on the ground floor of Birmingham Central Library.
Address: Chamberlain Square, Birmingham B3 3HQ
Tel: 0121 303 2421
Textphone 0121 303 2714
E-mail:centre.for.the.child@birmingham.gov.uk
Website: The address of this webpage is - www.birmingham.gov.uk/centreforthechild
Opening Hours
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Monday - Friday |
10am-6pm |
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Saturday |
9am-5pm |
Is your school signed up for the Children's University? Did you know that you can get your special passport stamped at Centre for the Child? Plus - look out for some great online activities with Stories from the Web which will count towards your learning hours - coming soon! www.birminghamchildrensuniversity.co.uk
Babies and Toddlers
Our facilities include a comfy baby and toddler area of the library with bean bags, toys and special board books, "feelie" books and giant story books.
We also offer a large range of picture books, dual language story books and CD-Roms suitable for young children. We run a range of storysessions suitable for younger children - see our What's On page for full details. There is a parent and baby room onsite for changing and feeding.
Children
Come along to Centre for the Child for homework help - we can't do your work for you but we'll show you where to start! We have computers specially saved for use by children for CD-Roms and internet or Stories from the Web access.
We also run a huge selection of Saturday and holiday story sessions and activities. See our What's on page for more details.
Teenagers
Come along to Centre for the Child for homework help - we can't do your work for you but we'll show you where to start! There is access to computers for CD-Rom and Internet use. We have a range of teenage magazines to borrow as well as a wide variety of helpful information on lots of topics including health and careers.
We have several book collections of interest to teens and young adults.
Children who speak multiple languages
We have a large and growing collection of books available in languages other than English including Somali, Romanian, Urdu and French. We also have a selection of dual language picture books. Find out the full range of languages available.
Children with special needs
A variety of resources and equipment is available, including braille books and an induction loop. We also work in partnership with Dyslexia Association of Birmingham.
Find out more about what's available to aid children and young people with special needs.
Parents and Carers
We stock a selection of books on parenting and activities to do with your child. You can contact the Family Information Service for information on childcare. Telephone: 0121 303 3521, Minicom: 0121 303 2714. They also provide general information and signposting to a wide range of organisations that support families. Visit their website at www.birmingham.gov.uk/fis.
More information for parents and carers
Organisations/Groups
Many groups use Centre for the Child's facilities including Education Otherwise, Little Leapers and various school groups.
Your Views
Your views and opinions are important to us. We want to know what you think. To find out how young people are already making a difference, take a look at our teenage magazine survey results.If you have ideas on how Centre for the Child can be improved why not drop in and speak to one of our staff.