CHILDREN with disabilities are to receive more help during the first years of their life thanks to a North Yorkshire initiative which has secured national funding.

North Yorkshire County Council's education and social services departments are joining forces with health workers to provide the support.

A team will work with children with disabilities and their parents to help the young people during their first three years.

Tina Smith, early years manager with North Yorkshire County Council Education Service, said: "Key workers will be there for parents at the very point of diagnosis and to support families through the most difficult times.

"We aim to cut the amount of distress parents often experience by having to attend lots of meetings where they have to go over the details of their case time and again."

North Yorkshire County Council's education and social services departments have been granted £140,000 to run the project, one of 45 local authorities in the country to secure the funding.

The Government has provided £13m over four years for the Early Support Pilot Programme.

Part of the funding will go to set up a joint database that will highlight where needy families are living in the county so the scheme can eventually be spread throughout North Yorkshire.

The Royal National Institute for the Blind, the Down's Syndrome Association and the National Autistic Society are among a host of agencies helping develop material which will be used for national training.

An additional £20,000 grant from the Government will allow Portage Home Visiting services to be developed in the Selby area.

Portage is a home-teaching service which enables parents to develop their skills in helping their pre-school child with special needs.

The Portage teams comprise of home visitors, an early years support teacher and an administrator.

The home visitors work with parents and children, assessing the individual needs and helping families to work more effectively with the children.