Children in Devon and their families will see a new model of support services, in line with national Government guidance.<\/p>\n
First introduced in the late 1990s, Children\u2019s Centres in Devon have supported thousands of young children and their parents, with targeted early years support and other services.\u00a0But last year, the Government proposed a new initiative, and it’s now working with local authorities across the UK to roll out their \u2018Start for Life\u2019 programme and develop Family Hub programmes.<\/p>\n
We want to start a transition from Children\u2019s Centres to Family Hubs in Devon. So, we’ll work with partners and stakeholders to shape the model, which is likely to take 12 months, with a view to developing a county-wide Family Hubs programme to begin in 2025.<\/p>\n
In the meantime, Children’s Centres will continue to support families, as usual.<\/p>\n
The Government says that Family Hubs will improve families\u2019 access to services, describing them as \u201c\u2026a local innovation, developed to meet local needs and better support families.\u201d<\/p>\n
They\u2019ll do that by developing and growing partnerships with existing voluntary groups and charities that already support parents of young children in local communities.<\/p>\n