Labour planning to fund 400 more one-stop family hubs

Parents will be given access to hundreds more children’s centres as part of what the government is describing as “Sure Start for a new generation”.

- Rachel Sylvester Political Editor

Bridget Phillipson, the education secretary, will this week announce plans to fund an additional 400 Best Start family hubs, taking the total number to 1,000 by 2028.

The initiative, which is based on the Sure Start early years programme introduced by Tony Blair’s government, is backed by £500m funding and will initially be targeted at the most deprived areas.

Drop-in centres offering playgroups, parenting classes and health advice for preschool children, will go alongside a new national digital family hub linked to the NHS app.