We share the committee’s ambition to ensure that all babies, children and their families, regardless of their circumstances, are able to access the support they need. We know that this is not the case for too many families; 1 in 4 families with children under 5, and 1 in 3 low-income families, are unable to access local family services, with particular gaps for families experiencing disadvantage and children with additional needs. On 23 February, DfE published the schools white paper, Every child achieving and thriving, which included a commitment to invest over £200 million over 3 years to strengthen the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) offer in Best Start Family Hubs. This includes funding a family-facing practitioner in every hub to support children with additional needs and their families from the earliest stages. As a result: • parents will be better supported to understand their child’s development • emerging needs will be identified sooner • join-up between early years settings, health visitors and SEND teams will be made easier Local authorities will receive further guidance about this in the coming weeks. Best Start Family Hubs are designed as welcoming, non-stigmatising spaces for all families, with a particular focus on those who are disadvantaged or have additional needs. We are working with 5 national voluntary, community and faith sector (VCFS) partners to reach families furthest from opportunity through targeted outreach and peer support. These partners understand cultural nuances, speak community languages and have built trust over time through their work with faith organisations, cultural centres and community groups that families already know and use. Local authorities are expected to work with parents and carers as well as VCFS partners to develop outreach strategies targeting under-served groups - including minority ethnic communities, fathers, young parents and those experiencing inequalities in health. In addition, while Best Start Family Hubs themselves should be open and accessible to all, we have set the expectation that local authorities should choose sites carefully to prioritise disadvantaged children and communities; we have set an ambition, detailed in ‘Best Start Family Hubs and Healthy Babies - preparing for implementation April 2026’ that 70% of hubs should be located in the 30% most deprived areas nationally. The government will continue to consider how best to support families from all disadvantaged backgrounds as the programme develops, drawing on evaluation findings and learning from delivery.