Following on from the announcement in July, the DfE have set out their plans for the best start family hubs rollout – here’s what you need to know
Things have changed since July’s announcement in which Bridget Phillipson laid out plan’s to release 500 million in funding to “make sure hard-working parents are able to benefit from more early help – delivering a lifeline of consistent support to ensure all children get the very best start in life.” In a press release earlier today (4th December 2025), the DfE have confirmed that the ‘Best Start Family Hubs will act as one-stop-shop for parents with SEND professional and services to support speech and language development’. This comes as part of the SEND reform being planned for the new year to help schools combat the ongoing crisis for providing adequate support in the classroom for students with special educational needs.
Here’s key ways the Hubs will assist schools:
1.Early Intervention Prevents Escalation: The Hubs aim to be a “single, prevention-first system” by offering early support. By identifying and addressing needs—such as speech and language delays—before a child starts school, they prevent these issues from escalating and requiring more intensive, high-cost support from the school’s SEND budget and staff later on.
2.Dedicated SEND Expertise: Each Hub is tasked with recruiting an all-new dedicated SEND practitioner. This means families can get expert advice and practical support in their community. When a child transitions to school, their needs are more likely to be already identified and partially addressed, giving the school’s SENCO (Special Educational Needs Coordinator) a clearer picture from day one.
3.Improved “Join-up” of Services: The new offer will “support vital join-up between early years settings, health visitors and SEND teams.” This integrated approach ensures that when a child with identified needs moves from a nursery setting to a primary school, there is a better handover of information, assessment results, and initial support plans.
4.School Readiness: The overall goal of the Hubs is to give every child “the best start in life” and help local councils meet targets for school readiness. Children who receive timely, appropriate support in the early years are more likely to be ready for the classroom environment, reducing the immediate demand on school staff to address foundational developmental needs.
It’s expected that the hubs will be rolled out from April 2026.
The national rollout of the Best Start Family Hubs, with their emphasis on early intervention and specialised SEND support, offers significant long-term benefits for schools, shifting the focus from crisis management to preventative care.
Let’s be honest: navigating the early years of parenting can feel overwhelming, especially when you have a gut feeling that your child might need a little extra support. That stress and uncertainty—the feeling of being alone in the system—takes a huge toll on parental and child mental health.
That’s where the new Best Start Family Hubs come in. While they are a massive investment in family services, their real power lies in their ability to act as a mental health safety net for the entire community.
Stopping Problems Before They Start
The Hubs are laser-focused on the 0-5 age group. Why? Because an unrecognised delay or need—like a common speech and language issue—doesn’t just go away. It usually snowballs, leading to frustration, challenging behaviour, and poor emotional regulation once the child hits the classroom. These struggles become a major burden on the child’s wellbeing and immediately strain school resources.
The Hubs are designed to stop this cycle right at the beginning. By offering expert, early intervention, they prevent small issues from turning into major mental health challenges down the line.
Your One-Stop Shop for Peace of Mind
What does this mean for you and for schools?
First, every Hub will have a dedicated SEND practitioner. Think of them as your personal guide. Having one reliable, friendly face to turn to for advice slashes the crippling parental anxiety that comes from battling complex systems.
Second, this support creates a smoother transition to primary school. When a child starts Year 1, their teacher and SENCO (Special Educational Needs Coordinator) won’t have to start from scratch. Because the Hub has created a strong “join-up” between health, social care, and early years, the school receives a child whose needs are already identified and whose support plan is already underway.
In short, the Family Hubs programme acts as a crucial upstream investment, allowing schools to manage their budgets and staff time more efficiently by addressing needs in the first five years of life rather than inheriting entrenched issues in Year 1 and beyond.
🛠️ Supporting Your Whole-School Mental Health Strategy
The Family Hubs will significantly reduce external pressures, but maintaining a resilient, mentally healthy school environment still requires internal focus.
As the Association of Mental Health in Education, we offer the tools to help you embed a strategic, compliant, and sustainable whole-school approach:
- Mental Health Lead Training: Access DfE-aligned training and qualifications to equip your leaders with the skills to develop whole-school strategy.
- Staff Wellbeing Services: Utilise professional Supervision and Coaching to support your staff, mitigate burnout, and ensure your team is mentally capable of supporting complex student needs.
- Membership Resources: Gain access to toolkits, policy updates, and our peer support network to stay compliant and connected to the best practice in early years and SEND provision.
Ready to build a robust mental health provision that complements the benefits of the new Family Hubs? Explore our membership options here.