What families told us about early relationships support and why it matters

This summer, the NHS North West Coast Clinical Network published a new Family Engagement report as part of its Parent Infant and Early Years (PIER) Pathway Review, drawing on conversations with more than 60 families at Babyzone community hubs in Blackburn and Warrington, plus a focus group at Belle Vale Family Hub in Liverpool.

 

The picture that emerges is warm, honest and urgent. Parents spoke about the value of simply spending time with their children and about places like Babyzone offering “an easy place for us to be – everything in one place.” They also described the pressure many families feel: a sense that good parenting means staying busy and doing everything “correctly,” which can get in the way of relaxed, connected moments with their babies.

 

One theme stood out. As one parent put it, “you have to pay for the village now.” With family often living further away, and free community support thinning out, especially once a child turns two, parents increasingly find themselves building their own networks from scratch, or paying for what previous generations found for free. Many parents felt support “drops away” at exactly the point their growing children, and the wider influences on them, make that support matter most.

 

The report’s conclusion is clear: relationships support works best when it is universal, personalised and delivered in person by someone parents trust. It also points to the next priority, working with families to make sure that support reaches the toddler and preschool years, not just the earliest months.