Bishop Auckland MP Dehenna Davison today welcomed the news that Durham County Council has been selected as one of fourteen local authorities to lead the way in delivering the Family Hubs and Start for Life Programme.
The Council will receive additional funding from the Government to ensure every new family has access to help such as perinatal mental health support, infant feeding guidance and parent-infant relationship advice. Crucially, the Family Hubs programmes will make all these services available from a single point of access, making it easier for parents to get the support they need.
As a Trailblazer authority, County Durham will be able to build this additional capacity first. Alongside thirteen other local authorities, local leaders in trailblazer authorities will establish a model of best practice for the rest of the country to follow.
Dehenna Davison said: “The first few years of a child’s life are critical to their health and future prospects, with a million neural connections being created every second in a kid’s first twelve months. External support during this period can be so beneficial for parents. Indeed, Woodhouse Close Community Centre in our constituency has already been hugely supportive to new families in the area, so much so that Education Secretary Gillian Keegan recently visited the centre to take lessons from their experiences.”
“I am delighted that County Durham families will be the first to benefit from new Government funding and look forward to reviewing the “Start for Life” offer that the Council put together for local families.”
