Best Start Family Hubs

Lord Mohammed of Tinsley Excerpts

Tuesday 27th January 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)]

I acknowledge the noble Lord’s involvement in setting up the family hub programme under the previous Government. I reassure him that Best Start Family Hubs will be open to all families with children aged nought to 19 and up to 25 for young people with SEND. They will be welcoming spaces where every family feels valued and confident to ask for help. They will be open to older children and they can become part of the local youth offer, including Young Futures hubs, where that makes sense locally—these programmes will be locally driven. We are working with other government departments to determine what additional services will be included in Best Start Family Hubs. That will be reflected in further guidance, which we will publish in spring 2026.

[Lord Mohammed of Tinsley (LD)]

My Lords, how will Best Start Family Hubs reduce rather than deepen regional inequalities, particularly in areas with the highest child poverty rates, where pressure on local services is often greatest?

[Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)]

The commitment is to make sure that every local authority area has a family hub. Deprivation is one of the key factors in the programme. We want to make sure that all children benefit from the services on offer; it is down to local authorities to determine where their priorities are and how they can best help and give the support that families need.