Families across Central Bedfordshire can now access advice, support, and services more easily thanks to the launch of the area's first Best Start Family Hub in Dunstable and a new Best Start in Life online resource.
The new family hub and webpage make it simpler for parents, carers, young people and families to find trusted information, access local support, and connect with services designed to help them thrive.
Whether preparing for the arrival of a baby, looking for activities for young children, seeking advice on child development, or accessing additional support when needed, families can find the right help at the right time through Best Start in Life.
Staff, partners and families came together on Friday (23 October) to celebrate the introduction of Central Bedfordshire's first Best Start Family Hub in Dunstable and learn more about the enhanced support available to families across the area.
While many existing services will continue to be available through the hub, the Best Start in Life programme is enhancing support for families through new activities, additional family support and an improved special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) offer. This includes dedicated best start inclusion practitioners, additional Best Start in Life family workers, and early years education and childcare advice drop-ins, helping families access tailored support earlier and more easily.
A youth hub has been developed on the same site to enable young people to connect with varied support, including access to education, employment, training and independent living skills.
Alongside the new hub, the Best Start in Life online offer provides a single destination for information, advice and guidance, making it easier for families to discover local services, activities, and support whenever they need them.
The launch reflects Central Bedfordshire's commitment to giving every child the best possible start in life. By investing in early help, strengthening family support, and ensuring services reflect the needs of local families, we, with our partners, are working together to improve outcomes for children, reduce inequalities and help families thrive.
Councillor Mackey, our Executive Member for Children and Families, said:
The launch of our first Best Start Family Hub and online offer is an important step forward for families across Central Bedfordshire. We know every family needs support at different times, but finding the right help is not always easy. Best Start in Life is about making that experience simpler.
As well as bringing services together in one place, Best Start in Life is helping us enhance the support available to local families through new activities, additional family support, and a strengthened SEND offer. By investing in specialist staff and early help services, we're making it easier for families to access the right support at the right time.
Dunstable is the first of several Best Start Family Hubs planned across Central Bedfordshire over the coming years, ensuring families can access the support they need to thrive and help children to grow up healthy, confident and ready to learn.
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