Matt Western, MP for Warwick and Leamington, has backed the Government's plans to 'build on the legacy of Sure Start' with up to 1000 Best Start Family Hubs to be rolled out across the country. 

 Sure Start was first introduced by the Labour Government in 1998 to provide support to new parents, particularly those in disadvantaged areas. 

Research from the Insitute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) shows that children who lived within a short distance of a Sure Start centre for their first five years were 0.9 percentage points more likely to achieve five good GCSEs at grades age 16. 

The Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson said: "I saw firsthand how initiatives like Sure Start helped level the playing field, transforming the lives of children by putting in place family support in the earliest years of life, and as part of our Plan for Change, we're building on its legacy for the next generation of children."

The plans for Best Start hubs are backed by over £500 million and are targeted at the most disadvantaged communities.  

The Government say this forms part of their 'Best Start in Life strategy' which they say aims to ensure tens of thousands more children are ready for school at age five.

Physical hubs will go alongside a new national digital hub which is linked with the NHS app to offer advice and connect to services. 

The hubs will act as a one stop shop for parents seeking a range of support, including on difficulty breastfeeding, housing issues or children's early development and language.

They are due to roll out in every local authority by April 2026 and by the end of 2028, up to 1000 hubs across the country could be created. 

On the announcement, Matt Western MP said: "So often I hear from parents who had the support of Sure Start when they had their children and they only have good things to say about the service and how impactful the support they provided to them, and their child was.

 This announcement, to build on the legacy of Sure Start, is a hugely welcome one. Every child deserves the best chance in life and these hubs will play an important role in this. 

Support can often feel difficult to navigate, particularly if you are a new parent, and having these hubs as a one stop shop for parents will be transformational."