The government has announced that family hubs will open in every local authority in England. These hubs will provide parenting support and youth services. The plan will cost five hundred million pounds and aims to help five hundred thousand more children in the most disadvantaged areas.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said the new “Best Start” family hubs will give a lifeline to families. She stated it is the government’s mission to break the link between a child’s background and their future achievements.

The idea for such centres began in the early 2000s with the Sure Start programme. Many of those original centres closed after 2010 due to funding cuts. Last year, the previous Conservative government opened four hundred family hubs across seventy five local authorities.

The current Labour government says it will now expand this scheme. They plan to have a hub in every local authority by April 2026. The goal is to increase the total to one thousand hubs by the end of 2028.

When asked if this was simply continuing a Conservative policy, Phillipson said Labour was going further and revitalising family services. The hubs will offer a wide range of help, from midwifery support and registering births to debt advice and youth clubs.

In response, the Conservative shadow education secretary, Laura Trott, criticised the plan. She said there was little clarity on what is genuinely new and accused the government of rebranding existing services.

The charity Save The Children welcomed the announcement. Dan Paskins from the charity said bringing different support services together in one place is a proven approach that works. He expressed pleasure that the government is making it easier for families to get help.