All children deserve the Best Start in Life

Parents in Birmingham Edgbaston constituency which covers Harborne, Bartley Green, Quinton, Edgbaston and North Edgbaston wards remember the difference that Sure Start and children’s centres made in those crucial early years - practical support, trusted advice, and somewhere to turn.

As a former children’s services manager in Birmingham, I saw that impact first-hand. I also saw what happened over the years of austerity, as those services were stripped back and communities like mine were left with very little to support families raising young children.

The consequences have been clear. By the end of the last Government, around a quarter of families with children under five could not access a local children’s centre or Family Hub, rising to around one in three for lower income families. Thousands of parents were left to navigate early parenthood alone facing long waits, fragmented services, and nowhere to go for straightforward help.

That has real life consequences for children. More than a third now start primary school without key early skills like dressing independently. Teachers report increasing numbers of children arriving not yet toilet trained. Time that should be spent teaching is too often spent managing needs that could and should have been addressed earlier.

Once that gap opens before a child even starts school, it becomes much harder to close.

That is why rebuilding these services matters so much and why I launched my campaign to bring back family and community support in our constituency.

I am pleased that this work is delivering results, with the Government funding a new Best Start Family Hub in Bartley Green.

This is about simple, practical support: health visitors, parenting advice, feeding support, SEND expertise, and help with the cost of living all in one place. Fewer appointments, less travel, and clearer, joined up care.

It means a family expecting a baby can access support from midwifery through to health visiting, infant feeding and perinatal mental health without navigating multiple referrals. A parent worried about their child’s development can speak to a specialist inclusion practitioner without needing a diagnosis first. And a financially stretched family can access free stay and play sessions, get help claiming their government-funded childcare, and connect to debt or housing advice all in one place.

Best Start Family Hubs build on the cost saving measures the Government has already put in place to support families.

• 30 hours of government-funded childcare, which has halved childcare costs and is saving parents £8,000 on average.

• New Best Start school-based nurseries, creating the places to make childcare accessible and affordable.

• Best Start free breakfast clubs, putting £450 back in parents’ pockets and giving children a great start to the day.

• Best Start HAF clubs supporting families over the holidays and saving parents £300.

• Cheaper school uniform costs with a cap on branded items, saving parents up to £50 on the back-to-school shop.

  
  

This week’s announcement shows what we can do when we work together. As your local MP, I’m genuinely listening to local families and acting on your feedback and part of a Government that is determined to deliver for children, rebuild public services, and give every family the support they need.