Families in Hull will be able to access early years funding as the Council receives over £1.3m from a Government funding boost.
The Government has announced a new £126m investment into early years support as a part of the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer’s Plan for Change. Much of the funding will go directly to local councils across England to offer support in areas such as infant feeding advice, pregnancy support, and parenting classes.
The funding also includes provision for:
- one-to-one support in hospital wards
- proactive offer of support in the immediate postnatal period
- peer support in the community and virtually
- training staff to identify complex issues like tongue-tie early
Of the £126m, £1,370,000 has been allocated to Hull City Council, with a Council spokesperson saying: “The Council is delighted to receive the funding to enable it to continue its Family Hubs and Start for Life Programme, which it has done successfully since 2022.” They added that further support can be found on the Council’s Family Hub programme is available at Home – Family Hubs.
People can get support from a family hub if they are:
- an expectant parent or carer
- a parent or carer of a child aged 0 to 19 – or 25 with special educational needs or a disability
- a young person up to the age of 19, or up to 25 with special educational needs or a disability
Two of Hull’s MPs have expressed their delight that the city has secured funding that will help countless families. In expressing her delight, Emma Hardy, Labour MP for Hull West and Haltemprice touched on her own experience being a mother. She said: “Having benefited from a similar programme introduced under the last Labour government when I was a new Mum, I am absolutely delighted that families and children in West Hull will be able to access early years support through this funding boost from the Government.
“Families in West Hull elected a Labour government to give every child the best possible start in life, and that is what we’re delivering. This will make such a huge difference for so many families in our community and I know that the impact will be felt for years to come.”
Karl Turner, Labour MP for East Hull, shared his colleague, Ms Hardy’s sentiments, and expressed his delight at the announced funding.
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