A New Era of integrated family support commissioned by Nesta.
Nesta, with support from Ethos Foundation, Neighbourly Lab and partners across the early years sector, have launched a high-level blueprint for how the new ‘family hubs programme’ can most effectively deliver support for all children and families in England.
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Evidence shows that:
1. Children growing up in poverty are less likely to live a long, fulfilling and happy life than their peers. It’s not right that some people have poorer life chances because of their family circumstances.
2. Place-based services that offer families a single point of access to different types of support is an effective and cost efficient way of ensuring the healthy development of babies and young children, breaking the link between family background and life chances.
Case Study Report: Lived experience research with young families.
Through 30 ethnographic interviews and three workshops in different localities across England, we captured lived experience data that highlighted both the assets and the pain points in navigating support systems.
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Next Steps?
This July 2025, the UK Government committed to reviving family services across England through the expansion of the family hubs programme to every local authority. This is a welcome signal of a new era of commitment to joined-up family support and improving the development outcomes of babies and young children.
As the strategy is translated into delivery, what’s now crucial is that the evidence on what it takes to give every child the best possible start in life is put into practice.