On Wednesday (10 January), the Department for Education (DfE) announced that its Family Hubs are now operating in 75 local authorities, providing support to families with children from birth to age 19, and age 25 for those with SEND, with a range of free services.
To 'mark the milestone', it has also launched a new campaign to support parents to further their child’s development. It is in response to new research that suggests more than 80 per cent of parents are unaware that their child’s brain is 90 per cent grown by the age of five.
Family Hubs
First announced by the Government nearly three years ago, the Start for Life and Family Hubs programme is backed by £300m worth of funding up to next year.
Nursery World reported in February that the 75 local authorities taking part in the programme had received the first phase of the funding to ‘get them started’.
The Government has previously been accused of 'recreating' Sure Start with its Family Hubs programme. The Labour party, which introduced the model of centres, has called the Government's Family Hubs a 'pale imitation of Sure Start'.
As of today, 10 January, Family Hubs are now operating in local authorities across half the country. As part of the offer, parents in all these areas will have access to a ‘key contact’ to support them with home learning and increase ‘levels of school readiness’.
To mark their opening, the education secretary Gillian Keegan visited a Family Hub in Halton earlier in the week to meet with families benefitting from the services on offer.
According to the DfE, the hubs 'centralise a range of vital services in one location and act as a one stop shop for parents and children', with staff providing practical help including early language and communication development and mental health support.
Family Hubs tie in with the Government’s Supporting Families programme which aims to build the resilience of vulnerable families and ‘drive change across the country’ so every area has ‘strong local services that are able to identify families in need and provide the right support’.
The Local Government Association (LGA) said it would like to see Family Hubs extended to all councils so the ‘benefit can be felt across the country.’
Start for Life campaign
The Government’s new national Start for Life, ‘Little Moments Together campaign’, provides free resources and advice to help parents make the ‘most of every moment – even waiting for a bus or shopping together – to further their child’s development’.
It comes after new research revealed a ‘critical’ gap in parents’ understanding of the impact they can have on children’s brain development in their early years.
It found that parents prioritise activities like reading bedtime stories and playing with toys for their child’s language and communication skills, yet everyday moments are often overlooked.
'Through Family Hubs, we're making sure the right support is available for families'
Education Secretary, Gillian Keegan said, ‘I’ve seen first-hand how important it is that families are able to build confidence and aren’t made to jump through hoops, explaining their situation to professionals over and over. ‘That’s why through family hubs, along with our reforms to childcare and children’s social care, we’re making sure that the right support is available for families in the way that works best for them.’
Minister for public health, Start for Life and primary care, Dame Andrea Leadsom, added, ‘We’re committed to ensuring all parents get better access to help and support to improve their child’s learning and development, including learning at home.
‘The free resources now available through the Little Moments Together campaign will provide vital tools to help parents ensure their baby is getting the best possible start in life.’