Best Start Family Hubs

Lord Farmer Excerpts

Tuesday 27th January 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)]

As my noble friend mentions, early years is a real priority for this Government, starting with our plan for change and a national target by 2028 to increase the proportion of children achieving a good level of development when starting school. We have followed this up with statutory targets for every local authority, with each one tasked with producing ambitious local plans to deliver. Best Start Family Hubs are one vital element of the best start in life strategy but, as my noble friend mentions, this will have impacts right across government.

[Lord Farmer (Con)]

My Lords, I should like to build on the noble Baroness’s question. Will the Minister advise whether this Government are still committed to Best Start Family Hubs supporting families with children who are older than five? It should go from nought to 19, or nought to 25 for SEND children, as the emphasis in their publications has been on what we might call the Sure Start age range of nought to five. What will the Government expect family hubs to provide in reducing parental conflict and providing support for separating and separated parents?

[Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)]

I acknowledge the noble Lord’s involvement in setting up the family hub programme under the previous Government. I reassure him that Best Start Family Hubs will be open to all families with children aged nought to 19 and up to 25 for young people with SEND. They will be welcoming spaces where every family feels valued and confident to ask for help. They will be open to older children and they can become part of the local youth offer, including Young Futures hubs, where that makes sense locally—these programmes will be locally driven. We are working with other government departments to determine what additional services will be included in Best Start Family Hubs. That will be reflected in further guidance, which we will publish in spring 2026.