Making sure every child has the best possible start in life
I am passionate about seeing communities empowered and families connected, ensuring that every child has the best possible start in life.
It was therefore a privilege to serve as a member of the Parliamentary Advisory Board for Andrea Leadsom’s pioneering Early Years Healthy Development Review (EYHDR) which looked at how we can improve the health and development outcomes of babies and young children in England. Whilst we are incredibly fortunate to have excellent health care, health visitors, and highly trained midwives, these services are often not ‘joined up’, causing families to frequently feel overwhelmed or at a loss of where to turn when those inevitable concerns crop up during the early hours of the morning.
I am therefore delighted that the Chancellor has announced a £500 million investment for family support. This funding is a clear sign of the Government’s support for the six Action Areas set out in the EYHDR report. The first 1001 days of a child’s life, from conception to age two, are crucial to the rest of their lives, so I am pleased that this funding will ensure that thousands of families across England, including here in my own constituency of Penistone and Stocksbridge, are supported to lead healthy and connected lives.
The Government’s announcement highlights a turning point as we build back better from the pandemic. It is not only a great opportunity to recognise the economic, health and social benefits to society by improving support for families but it will also contribute to enhancing and maintaining a future where every child can have the best start in life.
The Government Funding provides:
- £82 million worth of spending to create 75 Family Hubs
- £100 million to support the mental health of new and expectant parents
- £120 million investment towards family support programmes
- £50 million for breastfeeding support
I am especially pleased that the funding includes Action Area 2, the Family Hubs network, something I have been campaigning for some time. Hundreds of families across Penistone and Stocksbridge will be able to benefit from this investment as the Government aims to create 75 new Family Hubs across England. The EYHDR shed a light on the need for parents and families to be able to access more easily early year services in a supportive and welcoming environment.
Starting a family is an exciting step but it can also be incredibly daunting. Operating as a one-stop-shop, Family Hubs offer a welcoming, safe, and seamless way of accessing multiple services such as breastfeeding, mental health and childcare support in local communities. They will also help parents to develop their own support networks by providing a space where questions can be asked, experiences can be shared, and relationships with other families can be built.
As a mother of three children, having close family members nearby and friends who were also learning how to care for their new babies was hugely beneficial for my family. The support I received from my local community throughout particularly challenging periods of raising my young children was transformational and is certainly an experience I want every family to have.
This investment offers a great opportunity to change the tide for struggling parents with young children and improve their access to early intervention as soon as difficulties arise.
Equally, the Government’s investment in early years is likely to produce long-term economic benefits, and will no doubt counter the likelihood of an expensive future for the Government had it chosen inaction in response to the Early Years Report. Every year the UK spends billions tackling poor mental health and crime; by investing in early years and giving children a better start in life, we can turn the tide on pervasive issues like these in the future.
It is great to see momentum behind the recommendations outlined in the Early Years Report. Consistent and joined-up support that offers new parents vital help from conception through to age 2 is the key to building resilient and lasting family networks in our communities. For areas like Penistone and Stocksbridge, the lasting impact will be transformational for our communities.
The key to building back better is recognising the importance of investing in the early years of our children’s lives, I'm therefore pleased that this investment provides a driving force for building stronger communities and family networks.
