BPS welcomes Start for Life funding extension

Welcoming the government's extension of the Start for Life programme, Chair of the BPS's Faculty for Children Young People and their Families Dr Rachel Bradley said:

"It is really encouraging that the government's Start for Life programme has been extended by a further 12 months. Making sure that babies have the best start in life is crucial for improving the physical and mental health of our children, enabling them to make the most of their educational and social opportunities, and in the future to successfully enter the workforce and become parents themselves. 

"However, a national rollout of the scheme, beyond the 75 local authorities this programme applies to, is required to help level the playing field for all families in the country. Ensuring parents have access to the support they need though Family Hubs and extending the remit and offer of perinatal and parent-infant mental health teams is crucial to help new parents manage the transition to parenthood, develop positive relationships with their babies and ensure good mental wellbeing for the whole family. 

"In addition, a longer-term commitment to funding beyond 2026 is needed, as temporary funding impacts the effectiveness of services due to the challenges this poses for recruitment of staff and service development.  We look forward to working with the government to help make this a reality."