Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government, following their announcement that they will develop Best Start Family Hubs in every local authority by 2028, what assessment they have made of findings from previous hub programmes; and whether they will ensure that people will be able to access these services from birth up to the age of 19 (or 25 in the case of special education needs and disabilities) and that they will not be restricted to the youngest children.

On 7 July 2025, the government published ‘Giving every child the best start in life’. This outlines the government’s commitment to deliver a new Best Start Family Service to bring together parenting, healthcare and education support services, as well as creating and funding Best Start Family Hubs in every local authority to give children the best start in life by strengthening and joining up family services. The department will provide over half a billion pounds of investment in the Best Start Family Service over the 2026 to 2029 spending review period.

Best Start Family Hubs will bring together professionals from health, education, early years, and community services, prioritising delivery in areas of disadvantage, where families face the greatest barriers to support. Each Best Start Family Hub will have a children and family services professional specifically trained in working to support inclusion for children with additional needs.

We will also explore whether a more detailed outcomes framework under the Best Start in Life umbrella, drawing on the lessons of Every Child Matters, would improve join up among services locally.