Source · Select Committees · Education Committee
Recommendation 17
17
Accepted in Part
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Expand national Family Hub rollout, commit to longer-term funding, and boost specific SEND family support.
Recommendation
We recommend the Government expand the Family Hub model and commit to longer-term funding. We would like to see a national rollout of family hubs at the earliest possible opportunity. In particular, the £50m fund for ‘Parenting Support’ and the £28.7m ‘Home Learning Environment’ fund should be increased, along with the Best Start for Life funding to support infant feeding and parent infant relationships. Family Hubs should spread awareness of the childcare subsidy offers and increase take up. They should also provide specific, targeted support to families with children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.
Government Response Summary
The government is investing £300 million to enable 75 local authorities to create family hubs, including £50 million for parenting support, which partially addresses the call for expansion and funding without committing to a national rollout or specific fund increases.
Paragraph Reference:
100
Government Response
Accepted in Part
HM Government
Accepted in Part
8. The Government also recognises that raising a family is both exciting and challenging, and wants to ensure parents and carers across England have access to local, co-ordinated support and advice in raising a family. To deliver on this vision, the Government is investing around £300 million to enable 75 local authorities to create family hubs, and to improve vital services to give every baby the best start in life. This includes £50 million for support for parenting to help new and expectant parents make the transition to parenthood as smooth as possible. Family hubs are ‘one stop shops’ that make it easier for families to get the support they need. The hub approach means professionals and partners working together more effectively, with a focus on supporting and strengthening the family relationships that carry us all through life.