Best Start Family Hubs

“Imagine a place where families can get breastfeeding support, parenting advice, early childhood classes, housing help, health services  all under one roof. That’s the idea behind the government’s new Best Start Family Hubs, backed by over £500 million. As nursery leaders, this is your chance to embrace community support, increase visibility, and truly become a go-to family partner.”

[INTR0]

Hi, I’m Curtly Ania, founder of Open a Nursery UK, where I guide nursery owners and leaders to build thriving, integrated early years settings.
Today’s video is essential if you want your nursery to be a vital community hub  and benefit from the new Best Start initiative.

I’ll explain:
• What Best Start Family Hubs are
• Why the government is funding them
• How they link to our Sure Start legacy
• The impact on communities
• How nurseries can get involved  strategically and immediately

Stick with me  you’re going to want to plan for these hubs.

1. WHAT ARE “BEST START FAMILY HUBS”?

In July 2025, the government set out its Best Start in Life strategy. It commits over £500 million to create up to 1,000 Best Start Family Hubs across every local authority in England by the end of 2028, with the first openings from April 2026.

These hubs are one-stop, welcoming spaces where families can access or be connected to services from pregnancy through the early years. They will be especially targeted at disadvantaged communities  while remaining open to all.

They build on the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme and the legacy of Sure Start, bringing professionals from health, education, housing, social care, and the voluntary sector together under one roof. It’s a push toward early intervention, whole-family support, and prevention  rather than waiting for crisis.

Family Hubs will become part of the local infrastructure and may be placed within children’s centres, libraries, or community centres depending on local needs. Some will operate as digital-first access points with online tools, while others will be physical drop-in spaces.

2. WHY IT MATTERS NOW

This initiative isn’t just another announcement  it’s a major part of Labour’s ambition to rebuild services reduced over the past decade.

Some highlights:
• The rollout aims to support around 500,000 children by 2028, according to government estimates.
• 2025/26 funding continues in 75 existing Family Hub areas, ensuring continuity before the national rollout begins in April 2026.
• SEND support is part of the hubs’ core offer, ensuring families of children with additional needs are signposted to the right pathways and services.
• Local authorities are being encouraged to partner with nurseries, charities, and community organisations to deliver services  not just run things in-house.

If done well, hubs could strengthen local early years provision and prevent families from falling through the cracks. This is particularly important in areas where families are facing poverty, housing insecurity, or language barriers that may prevent them from accessing the help they need.

The hubs reflect a growing recognition that early years settings are often one of the first and most trusted touchpoints families have. So the potential for nursery integration is huge.

3. WHAT SERVICES THEY OFFER

The Best Start hubs will deliver a wide range of integrated services, such as:

🧒 Early learning & parenting support:
• Stay-and-play sessions
• Parenting courses, sometimes using programmes like Triple P or Incredible Years
• Speech & language drop-ins
• Emotional development groups
• EYFS workshops for parents

🩺 Health services:
• Breastfeeding advice
• Midwifery clinics
• Birth registration desks
• Vaccination sessions
• Oral health check-ups

🏠 Family support:
• Housing advice desks
• Financial & debt guidance
• Benefits signposting
• Domestic abuse support
• Relationship or family conflict help

💻 Digital access & guidance:
• Online parenting courses
• Local service directories
• Digital resources for milestones
• In some areas, virtual consultations or remote support may be offered

📱 A digital Best Start parent support hub launches autumn 2025. It will act as a central website where families can find services, get support, and receive trusted guidance.

Importantly, this is about removing friction. No more parents running between buildings or being passed from department to department.

4. WHY IT’S A GAME-CHANGER FOR NURSERIES

Here’s why nurseries should pay attention:

🔍 A) Visibility & Trust
Being featured or collaborating with hubs means your nursery is on the radar of families actively seeking early years provision. Hubs are backed by government and may be viewed as “neutral” and credible sources of information. If they signpost families to you, it’s a massive trust boost.

🔄 B) Referral Partnerships
Your setting could be the referral endpoint for parenting courses or early education recommendations. This could lead to increased enquiries and build relationships with midwives, health visitors, or social workers operating within the hub.

🌱 C) Community Integration & Equity
By linking with hubs, your nursery positions itself as more than childcare  it becomes a community partner, boosting your brand and demonstrating social value. You’ll be seen as part of the local care ecosystem.

📚 D) Strategic Co-Delivery
Think about offering:
• SEND inclusion support groups
• Baby weaning or nutrition sessions
• Workshops for dads or carers
• School readiness clubs
• Postnatal mental health groups

Being proactive in designing these services allows your nursery to shape how hubs serve families  and create meaningful long-term relationships.

5. HOW NURSERIES CAN GET INVOLVED

Here’s a practical roadmap:

✅ Reach out to your local authority’s Best Start lead  ask about their rollout timeline and planning groups.
✅ Offer your nursery as a venue or co-facilitator for Stay-and-Play, breastfeeding cafés, parenting sessions, etc.
✅ Design a Best Start-aligned pilot project:
• Run a speech & language drop-in
• Deliver a bilingual story session
• Offer sensory baby play for under 1s
✅ Promote your hub involvement across your nursery marketing: website, email newsletters, and in-person tours. It builds trust and community presence.
✅ Collect feedback and impact data. Use parent testimonials, photos, attendance numbers, and outcomes to build a case study. Share this with your local authority to strengthen your ongoing role.
✅ Train staff on how hubs work, what services exist, and how to signpost families effectively.

6. BRINGING BACK THE HEART OF SURE START

Best Start hubs are designed to revive the ethos of Sure Start Children’s Centres.

Research from the Institute for Fiscal Studies shows Sure Start had long-term benefits:
• Fewer child hospital admissions
• Better educational outcomes, including improved school readiness and attainment
• Local evaluations also suggested stronger parental confidence in some areas

By getting involved early, you can help shape what this new era looks like  and ensure that your nursery is seen not just as a care provider, but as a partner in delivering social outcomes.

Integrating your nursery into this model isn’t just good for occupancy  it’s about purpose. You’re helping embed early years support at the very heart of family life.

7. SUMMARY TABLE

[CALL TO ACTION]

If you’re excited about this opportunity and want help engaging with Best Start hubs  whether that’s pitching to your local authority, designing a Stay & Play programme, or structuring parent support  reach out using the link on screen or in the description.

Together, we can make your nursery a key part of your community’s new support network.

👍 Like this video if you want to put your nursery at the heart of your community.
💬 Comment where your nearest planned hub will be, or share your questions.
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Thanks for watching  and here’s to opening doors and changing lives, one nursery at a time.