It really was excellent.

Babies eh, they suck you dry ;-)

...challenges of insecure and poor quality housing, unemployment and poor mental health, domestic violence and trauma. Investing in the first 1001 days is key because it's when babies' brains are rapidly developing and they learn to form sounds, process the world around them and self-regulate.

...A big gap (more than 20% difference) exists here between kids entitled to free school meals. Just 51.5% are at a good level of development aged 5. This inequality gap is a scandal and demands investment not just in high quality early education but in services that support families living with...

... best start in life, one of his 6 top national prioirities.
And committed to achieve a new milestone that 75% of 5 year olds will be school-ready by 2028 (currently it's 67.7%)...

...clear how the NHS, social services and local government will coordinate what they do so that vulnerable babies don't fall between the gaps, and direct funding towards early intervention services that reach babies fast with support.

...yesterday that babies are the most vulnerable people in our society. They rely totally on the adults around them. When they or their parents are in crisis, public services are crucial to averting unspeakable tragedies. Labour need to get this sorted before the spring spending review. And make...

...like parent-infant relationship support and infant feeding. The future of the programme hangs in the balance. The Chancellor said their priority is to give every child the best start in life. But the lack of clarity over accountability makes this aspiration ring hollow. A new MP made the point...

Most effective time to invest! The earlier the investment the greater the return. But national programmes like Start for Life are jointly owned by the DfE and the DHSC. So while today's Budget announced £69m for Family Hubs (the DfE's responsibility), it said nothing about DHSC funded services ...