Parents in Banbury and North Oxfordshire look back with fondness, and often a sense of gratitude, for the support Sure Start services provided in those crucial early years of their children’s lives.
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Hearing their stories, and the difficulties of local families with young children growing up today, made it clear that provision needed to be brought back.
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Because in 2010, when the Conservatives came to power, they took a scythe to those services. The consequences were stark.
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When they left government, one in four families with children under five couldn’t access local children’s centres or Family Hubs, rising to one in three lower income families.
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Thousands of parents cut off from vital community support networks and specialist services – left to navigate the challenges of parenthood alone.
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A devastating impact on children’s life chances, with early development, wellbeing and future attainment all in jeopardy.
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Nowhere is that clearer than here in Oxfordshire, a desert for family and community services.
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Speaking to and hearing from local families at surgeries, drop-ins, on the doorstep and on social media, I hear time and again that they need more support around SEND, nutrition, youth services, early development and plenty more.
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That’s why I was so pleased to learn this week that there will be results for families in Banbury and North Oxfordshire, with Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson investing £245,236 into Oxfordshire, with the explicit instruction to create a physical Best Start Family Hub by April.
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Best Start Family Hubs will build on the proud legacy of Sure Start, becoming Oxfordshire’s one stop shop for parents seeking convenient, accessible support.
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And they’ll also build on the cost saving measures Labour has already put in place to support families.
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30 hours of government-funded childcare, saving working parents £7,500 per child, per year.
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New Best Start school-based nurseries, like the one in Chipping Norton, creating the places to make childcare accessible and affordable.
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Best Start free breakfast clubs, putting £450 back in parents’ pockets with the national rollout beginning early next year.
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Best Start HAF clubs, their future secure for years to come so they can support families over the holidays.
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Cheaper school uniform costs with a cap on branded items.
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This week’s announcement shows what we can do when we work together. An MP for Banbury, genuinely listening to local families, acting on your feedback.
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And a government, determined to deliver for children where the Tories failed, rebuilding public services and renewing our country.