Babyzone Writes to New Early Years Minister

Babyzone has written to Paul Waugh MP, the new Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Early Education, on how the voluntary sector can help deliver the Government's Best Start in Life strategy.

The scale of the challenge

In England's most deprived neighbourhoods, just 58% of children reach a Good Level of Development by age five, against 77% in the least deprived areas. The Best Start in Life strategy targets 75% by 2028.

What Babyzone offers

Babyzone runs free, open-access, barrier-free hubs for families with children aged 0 to 5. With no booking, referral or means-testing requirements, the charity reaches families who are least likely to engage with appointment-based provision — 74% of families reached live in the most deprived areas (IMD Deciles 1–4).

Next steps

Babyzone has asked to meet the Minister and his officials, and to host him at one of its hubs, as it did with his predecessors Stephen Morgan MP and Olivia Bailey MP.

Read the full letter.