The government has announced that family hubs, offering parenting support and youth services, are set to open in every local authority in England. The £500 million plan will aim to support half a million more children in the most disadvantaged areas in the country.
The “Best Start” family hubs, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said, would “give a lifeline” to families. But the Conservative party criticised it, saying there was “little clarity on what’s genuinely new and what simply rebrands existing services.”
Family hubs were an idea by New Labour in the early 2000s when it introduced “Sure Start” centres that focus on supporting young families with early education, childcare, and health advice. Funding cuts by the Tories led to many closing after 2010 but last year’s Conservative government under Rishi Sunak introduced 400 new hubs that offered more services in 75 local authorities.
Now, the Labour party says that these will be in every local authority by April next year, before expanding them to up to 1,000 by the end of 2028. Phillipson told the BBC that the government was “going further” than the Tories, adding that they are “revitalising family services.”
The hubs will offer services including birth registration, midwifery support, debt advice, and youth clubs. The government also hopes they can provide access to other services and social care.
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