Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the benefits of joining up early education, family support, health services, and community and voluntary organisations to create an integrated early years system.

Children’s early years are crucial to their development, health and life chances.

As set out in the Plan for Change, antenatal classes, health visitors, parenting support, baby and toddler groups and access to affordable, high quality early education and childcare are all vital to guiding parents, improving the home learning environment and supporting child development. Evaluations of Sure Start demonstrate significant positive impacts on a range of outcomes for children and families of providing an integrated parenting support offer, and early findings from the Evaluation Innovation Fund suggest Family Hubs are having positive impact on child development.

Through the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme, the department is building a joined-up system of support from pregnancy through early childhood, with over 500 hubs now open across the country. Local authorities should consider existing infrastructure and local need when deciding where to locate services. Libraries and community spaces can, and often do, form part of family hub networks.

At the Spending Review, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer committed to continuing to invest in and expand the Family Hubs programme.

Departmental officials are working through the Spending Review settlement and will share more detailed plans in due course.