Commenting on the announcement by Bridget Phillipson of funding to be given to Local Authorities for a national roll out of Best Start Family Hubs, Daniel Kebede General Secretary of the National Education Union, said;
“Prioritising more support for families in these early years will have multiple benefits. The NEU is pleased to see these will be rolled out nationally and that it is Local Authorities that are going to be funded to do this, though the initiative will need to be funded appropriately to have the benefit and impact needed.
“Family Hubs will give more opportunities to get early intervention right - getting the necessary support and referrals to families, when they need it. Expert staff, with good qualifications, will be needed in the Hubs.
“This is a really good idea, but the funding will have to be at the right level to reap the benefits – at its peak Sure Start invested over £2 billion annually. Sure Start was a transformational policy which changed childhood and what a tragedy it was that the Conservative Government dismantled something that was working so well to empower so many children.''