Local MP leads debate on ‘information on support available for parents and carers of infants'

The Bill will now proceed to the committee stage, after the completion of the second reading, where each clause and any amendments to the Bill may be debated.

Sally-Ann’s Private Members’ Bill is a Bill to make provision for and in connection with the making available of information about support available for infants, parents and carers of infants, and prospective parents and carers, including reporting requirements relating to such support.

The government published the Best Start for Life: A Vision for the 1,001 Critical Days in March 2021. This outlines six action areas for improving support for families during the 1,001 critical days to ensure every baby in England is given the best possible start in life, regardless of background. The action areas included in the Vision are relevant to every local authority in England.

The Government is investing around £300 million to improve support for families though the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme. The programme is implementing many elements of the Best Start for Life Vision and is delivering a step change in outcomes for babies, children and their parents and carers in 75 local authorities in England, including those with high levels of deprivation. This builds on previous funding for family hubs, including £12m announced in 2021 for 12 areas to receive funding through the Family Hubs Transformation Fund.

Family hubs are for families with babies, children and young people from birth until they reach the age of 19 (or up to 25 for young people with special educational needs and disabilities).

Family hubs bring together multiple organisations in a ‘one stop shop’ with the aim of making it easier for families to access help and support. Partners work together in a joined-up way to deliver the right help at the right time. This can include a range of services, such as infant feeding support, parenting classes, health visiting, birth registration, baby and toddler groups, mental health support, advice on benefits, housing, and help to return to work or training.

The Bill is intended to support a baby’s cognitive, emotional and physical development during the 1,001 critical days from pregnancy up the age of two, by making information on support available easier to access. The Bill specifically achieves this by ensuring that local authorities publish a Start for Life offer on their website, and via other means they consider appropriate. A Start for Life offer is information about a number of services, that are set out in the Bill, that a local authority is aware are available in its area for infants, parents or carers of infants or prospective parents or carers.

The Bill also requires the government to publish an annual report that sets out information about support that is being provided in England for infants and their parents or carers, or prospective parents or carers.

Sally-Ann wants families to be able to access information about the services available for infants, parents or carers of infants, and prospective parents or carers in their local area. On Tuesday 12 March, she led a debate in Westminster Hall on this issue. The Bill had it’s second reading on 15 March and will now proceed to committee stage.

Ms Hart said: “It is vital that local authorities publish a comprehensive Start for Life offer giving families a ‘roadmap’ to help support and guide them, making it easier for them to access essential services and ensure that their babies get the best start in life. The period from conception to a child’s second birthday (1,001 days) is critical for their development.

“There is no rule book in parenting and all families need some help to give their babies the best start in life. Families often face challenges in navigating the myriad of available services. A disjointed system can lead to missed opportunities for care - early intervention is key to preventing health and developmental issues.

"By consolidating information on services to promote parent-infant relationships, breastfeeding and other infant feeding services, maternity services, health visiting services, mental health services and other services which support infants, parents or carers of infants and prospective parents or carers, as they consider appropriate to include, local authorities can create a one-stop resource with easy-to-understand information on the that is available.

“New parents and caregivers often experience anxiety and uncertainty and having clear information empowers them to make informed decisions. A Start for Life offer will ensure parents know what services are available, how to access them, and when they are needed.

“I am also asking the Government to continue the funding allocated to Family Hubs and Start for Life beyond 2025, and asking for further funding to be allocated to extend the scheme to all local authorities in England, beyond the initial 75 authorities.”