RCPCH Vice President for Policy, Dr Mike McKean, said:
We warmly welcome the Best Start in Life strategy and the much-needed investment for 1000 Family Hubs across England. This is a vital step toward rebuilding early years services and ensuring every child in England can thrive from the very beginning.
Early childhood is a crucial period for development, and the right support for both children and their parents or guardians at this stage can have a lifelong positive impact. By strengthening services and making them more accessible to families, this strategy has the potential to transform outcomes for children, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
We hope this initiative will not only improve access to care and support but also help to prevent and remove the stubborn inequalities that continue to impact the health and wellbeing of too many children across the country.