We welcome government’s early years strategy
Monday, 14 July 2025
We welcome a new plan from the government, called ‘Giving Every Child the Best Start in Life’, which aims to improve support for children and families from pregnancy to age 5.
The national strategy focuses on early help for families, better access to services, and the creation of Best Start Family Hubs in every council area. It was published by the government on 7 July 2025.
Funding for Central Bedfordshire has not yet been confirmed, but we're preparing for the next steps to ensure sure that once it is announced, services can be set up quickly.
Councillor Steve Owen, our Executive Member for Children’s Services, said:
We welcome the government’s new strategy which will focus on giving children the best start in life. The early years are so important for a child’s development, and we are committed to making sure families in Central Bedfordshire get the right support during this crucial time.
We already provide a wide range of support for families through our children’s centres and early help services. These services offer advice on parenting, child development, and family wellbeing, as well as access to group activities and links to other local support. We know how valuable this early support can be in helping children thrive.
We await the detail of the government’s plans to see how closely their aims match what we are doing with our children’s centres – and of course what government funding is on offer.
We have children’s centres in Sandy (also covering Biggleswade), Shefford, Stotfold, Flitwick, Houghton Regis, Leighton Buzzard and Dunstable. Full details of all the children’s centres and the support they can offer to families are available in our Family Information Directory.