About families and children in Devon

How we’re helping families

Most children and young people in Devon enjoy good health and wellbeing, but we know that some families face extra challenges. These can be linked to things like money worries, living in more rural areas, or finding it harder to access services. Emotional wellbeing, mental health and healthy habits are the areas where children and young people may need the most support .

In Devon, most children are doing well by the time they start school. In 2023 to 2024, around 7 in 10 children (69%) reached the expected level of development by the end of Reception, which is slightly higher than the national average. (67.7%)

However, we know this is not the same for every child. For children growing up in families facing financial pressures, only around half (50.5%) reached the same milestones with the national average being 52%. This tells us that some children need extra help early on, so they can thrive alongside their peers.

We also know that children who develop their communication, language, social and physical skills are more likely to achieve well at school. When children struggle with these skills, it can affect how ready they feel for school and how confident they are socially and emotionally.

Best Start Family Hubs are here to help close this gap. By offering early support, practical advice and the right help at the right time, we work alongside families to strengthen their children’s overall development, so every child has the chance to get off to a strong start.

Devon’s response, working together for a best start in life

Across Devon, many different services support children and families, often at different times and in different places. While this support is valuable, we know it can sometimes feel hard to navigate or not as joined‑up as families need it to be.

The Best Start in Life action plan brings these services together. It sets out a shared programme of work so that organisations can work as one system, with a strong focus on early help and prevention. This means spotting needs earlier, offering support sooner, and making sure families get the right help at the right time.

Because Devon is a large and diverse county, we are starting by testing this new approach in three pilot Best Start Family Hub areas. These pilot sites are based in Bideford, Exeter and Newton Abbot. What we learn from these areas will help us shape how Best Start Family Hubs grow and develop across Devon, so more families can benefit.