What are Best Start Family Hubs and Children’s Centres?
Lincolnshire's network of 47 Best Start Family Hubs and Children’s Centres offer local community services designed to give children the best possible start in life. They bring together a wide range of support for families in one place, making it easier to access help early, when it can make the biggest difference.
Across Lincolnshire, there is a network of 47 Family Hubs and Children’s Centres, supporting families from pregnancy through to age 19, or up to age 25 for young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
While help is available for families with children of all ages, there is a particular focus on supporting babies and children aged 0–5 years, as these early years are crucial for development.
How we support families
Our hubs provide a range of services, including:
- antenatal support and health visiting services
- infant feeding advice and support
- perinatal mental health support for parents
- parenting programmes and family support
- early learning and school readiness activities
- early identification of SEND needs
- targeted outreach to families who may need extra support
By bringing services together, families can access the right support at the right time, helping children thrive and reach their full potential.
Helping children succeed
A key aim of the Best Start Family Hubs network is to improve the number of children achieving a Good Level of Development (GLD) by the age of five. GLD is an important measure of a child’s readiness for school and future learning.
The national ambition is for 75% of children to achieve a Good Level of Development by 2028.
In Lincolnshire, we are working to increase achievement from 66.4% to 76.7%, helping an additional 743 children reach this important milestone.
We are also focused on reducing inequalities, with a target to increase GLD achievement for children eligible for Free School Meals from 50% to 61.2%.
Why early support matters
Research shows that the earliest years of a child’s life have a lasting impact on their health, learning, wellbeing and future opportunities. The first 1,001 days, from conception to age two, are particularly important because this is when a child’s brain develops most rapidly.
Evidence demonstrates that investing in early childhood support can lead to:
- better educational outcomes
- improved health and emotional wellbeing
- reduced need for specialist services later in life
- lower pressure on social care, health and criminal justice services
- better employment opportunities and earnings in adulthood
By providing early, joined-up support through our Family Hubs and Children’s Centres, we can help children develop the skills they need to succeed, strengthen families, and create brighter futures for communities across Lincolnshire.
Our simple belief is that earlier access to the right support leads to better outcomes for children and families.