Families in the East Riding will benefit from greater family services following a £154,994 Government investment in the area. The funding comes as the Government has committed to rolling out new ‘Best Start Family Hubs’ across every local authority in the country.
The investment has been warmly welcomed by the MP for Hull West and Haltemprice, Emma Hardy, who called on the Government to “rebuild Sure Start style services” in East Yorkshire, an area lacking in any provision of this type following cuts to services since 2010. The Best Start Family Hubs will act as a one stop shop for parents seeking a range of support, including on difficulty breastfeeding, housing issues or children’s early development and language, reassuring families that they have convenient access to support in their local area or can be efficiently connected to specialist local services. The Government say the Hubs will be rolling out in every local authority area by April 2026.
Sure Start was an initiative introduced under Sir Tony Blair’s New Labour Government in 1998. The flagship early years programme sought improve children’s early development by offering parental advice, health services, and childcare, among other services.
The former Prime Minister, Sir Tony, described the scheme as “one of New Labour’s greatest achievements”. However, following the 2010 general election which saw the Conservative/Liberal Democrat coalition take power, the programme saw its funding cut leading to the closure of many hubs.
Labour MP, Ms Hardy, said: “I know how good Sure Start was in the East Riding because it was there for me when I had my own children, so I’m delighted that my campaign to bring back family services to East Riding of Yorkshire council has been a success and will help to give local children the best start in life. This is the difference a Labour MP working with a Labour Government can do for children and families in our area.
“This £154,994 investment to open a local Best Start family hub in East Yorkshire will be transformative– alongside free breakfast clubs, government-funded childcare and the £1.3 million already announced for Hull to provide Start for Life services, we are delivering for families across Hull West and Haltemprice.”
The Government’s Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson added: “It’s the driving mission of this Government to break the link between a child’s background and what they go on to achieve – our new Best Start Family Hubs will put the first building blocks of better life chances in place for more children.
“I saw firsthand how initiatives like Sure Start helped level the playing field, transforming the lives of children by putting in place family support in the earliest years of life, and as part of our Plan for Change, we’re building on its legacy for the next generation of children.
“Making sure hard-working parents are able to benefit from more early help is a promise made, and promise kept – delivering a lifeline of consistent support across the nation,ensuring health, social care and education work in unison to ensure all children get the best start in life.”
By: Andrew Spence, LDRS
