There is strong evidence that research-based, high-quality early years services can improve the wellbeing of babies and young children, boost future life chances, and prevent ill health later in life. There is also a clear case for integrating services for families from pregnancy up to 19 (and 25 in some cases) so that support is more accessible, families can easily get the help they need, and professionals can work in joined-up ways. 

Building on this long history of community-based support, strongly championed by the last Labour Government, the Start for Life and Family Hub programme currently provides funding for 75 local authorities. However, this funding is currently due to end in March 2025.

As a sector, we are deeply concerned that without this dedicated funding from central government, many of the positive changes underway in these 75 local authority areas will go into reverse. For many families, services that they only began to access 12 months ago may be withdrawn. For local authorities, a crucial plank in their children and families strategies may become unsustainable.

As a sector, we urge the new government to signal a multi-year spending commitment beyond March 2025 that will:

• Provide ongoing programme funding for evidence-based early years services and integrated support for families up to 19 (and 25 in some cases); and
• Extend this funding to cover all local authorities.

We warmly welcome the new government’s missions to "raise the healthiest generation of children ever" and "break down barriers to opportunity". Evidence-based early years services and integrated support for families will be vital if this vision is to become reality. This will also be important enablers for rebalancing the children’s social care system towards early intervention and improving outcomes for children with SEN and disabilities.

Given the new government’s aims, we believe it would be counterproductive to remove this funding and that costs would escalate in the long run. The trust of many families and communities who have contributed to the development of the programme would be put at risk. A widening of the programme would allow all local authorities to increase capacity in this vital area at a time when fiscal constraints would almost certainly prevent them from doing so otherwise.

We urge a continuation of this funding until the new government is ready to mobilise a clear, budgeted, and deliverable longer-term early years and family help policy of its own. We stand united as a sector in offering our encouragement and support to help them deliver on this mission.