I welcome the Government's announcement yesterday to continue the roll out of the previous Conservative Government's investment into family hubs
Supporting families through family hubs is something the last Conservative Government championed, rolling out 400 hubs across 75 areas last year to support children and their families.
Last year, I visited the brilliant team at The Rees Centre Family and Wellbeing Hub, run by Barnardo's, and saw first-hand how family hubs offer vital support to parents, carers, and children in our community. I will be pushing for the Government to ensure that this rollout leads to new family hubs opening in Plymstock, Ivybridge and West Devon, so that more families can access the vital support they need.
That said, parents deserve clarity. Labour’s promise of 1,000 new family hubs raises questions the Education Secretary failed to answer, including:
• How many of these hubs are genuinely new?
• How many are just existing hubs being rebranded?
• Will Education, Health & Care Plans (EHCPs) remain protected?
• What support will be provided to nurseries struggling with rising costs?
• Will the previous Conservative policy of extending family hub support to young people up to 19 (or upto 25 for young people with SEND) be continued?
I will always welcome new investment for children and families, but I will also keep holding this Government to account to ensure that words are matched by meaningful action.
