- Family runs right through the Conservatives’ vision for a better future for everyone. Supporting families to give their children the best start in life makes a huge difference to outcomes.
- The Conservative Government has announced further support for families by delivering on its promise to roll out family hubs in 75 Local Authorities with 14 new Trailblazer areas to speed up delivery as well as establishing the Start for Life programme as part of a £301 million package of support.
- Strong, supportive families make for more stable communities and happier individuals. This announcement is supporting families to give their children the very best start in life.
The Conservative Government has announced the next step in the delivery of their Family Hubs programme as they roll out a network of Family Hubs to 75 Local Authority areas as well as setting out their new ‘Start for Life’ programme, giving families and children the support they need.
Greg Hands has welcomed the news that families in Chelsea & Fulham will benefit from family hubs by March 2024. The London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham was selected as one of the 12 council areas to receive funding as part of the Family Hubs Transformation Fund, transitioning services which used to operate under the Sure Start banner over to the Family Hub model.
These programmes from the Conservative Government will see thousands of families across England being offered help and support with issues such as infant feeding and mental health.
Backed by over £301 million, 75 areas will benefit from support over the next two years, with the new hubs offering help for families from conception through to age 19, or up to 25 for children with special education needs and disabilities.
This announcement builds on the Prime Minister’s ambition to put families at the centre of communities which has already been demonstrated through the recently announced children’s social care reforms backed by £200 million and delivers on the Conservatives’ 2019 manifesto commitment to roll-out Family Hubs.
Commenting, Greg Hands said:
“Loving and supportive families are the building blocks of stable communities and the Prime Minister has rightly put this at the centre of his vision for the country.
“I welcome this important next step in delivering on our Conservative manifesto commitment to roll out family hubs, giving families the support they need, where they need it, helping parents develop loving bonds with their children as well as getting support around effective parenting.
“This Conservative Government is delivering for families and children, ensuring families can access all the support they need through our new family hubs network.”
Minister for Children, Families and Wellbeing, Claire Coutinho said:
“Having children can be really tough as well as bringing so much joy. All families, from time to time, will need a helping hand.
“Family hubs bring services together helping parents, carers, children and young people to access the support they need more easily.
“Parenting advice ranges from support with breast feeding and mental health to guidance on how to give children a head start on their learning.”
Dame Andrea Leadsom said:
“Support for the earliest years is being transformed – our ‘Start for Life’ offer will point families-to-be in the direction of their Family Hub, and the help they can get there will include a warm welcome, parenting advice, antenatal help, health visiting, mental health, infant feeding support and even advice on relationship building or how to get into work. There will be a strong focus on dads and co-parents who have for far too long been left out.
“We all agree that universal education and universal healthcare are the right of every citizen. Surely, however, the best start for life is the most fundamental right of all. It is in the period from conception to the age of two that the building blocks for good lifelong physical and emotional health are laid down. There is quite literally no better place to invest, either for human happiness or value for taxpayers’ money!”
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