30th March 2026
iHV welcomes the news of the government’s plans to extend Best Start Family Hubs, opening nationwide support for families across England. Building on the legacy of Sure Start, the new Best Start Family Hubs aim to help families with a range of support, including free stay-and-play sessions for babies and young children, help with infant feeding, parenting advice, early support for children with SEND, and health visiting services – all in one place, reducing the need to pay for private classes or specialist support.
Over 200 new Best Start Family Hubs are in areas not previously funded and are now open to families. These form the first wave of up to 1,000 hubs across all local authorities by the end of 2028, with 800 expected to be operating as Best Start Family Hubs by the end of April.
New guidance published today sets out the government’s plans to bring the services that families rely on together under one roof, making it easier to get help at the right time – described as ‘reimagining Sure Start for the modern age through a more joined-up system of support’.
The government is also making a new commitment to deliver up to 2,000 satellite locations by the end of 2028 – based in health centres, leisure centres, libraries and churches – so families experience seamless support in the places they already go.
The programme builds on the legacy of Sure Start, while updating family services for the modern world – combining face-to-face and digital support, strong partnerships with early years settings, and better use of existing community partners and spaces.
Every Best Start Family Hub will include dedicated outreach workers to reach families, alongside a practitioner to help identify additional needs early – particularly those who might otherwise fall through the cracks – helping them access the right support sooner without being passed between services.
Alongside this, Healthy Babies support will be delivered through Best Start Family Hubs – bringing together health and early support such as midwifery, health visiting, infant feeding and perinatal mental health support so families get a more joined-up experience from day one.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting said:
“I want babies born this year to grow up as the healthiest generation than any before it – and that means building good habits early.
“We know that the earliest years of a child’s life shape everything that follows. But for too long, families have had to navigate a maze of services at the very moment they need simple, straightforward help.
“We’re making it easier for families to get the right support in one place – from pregnancy onwards.
“That means spotting problems earlier, stepping in sooner, and moving care closer to the communities that need it most.”
