“Giving Every Child the Best Start in Life”: A Summary of the UK Government’s Early Years Strategy and What It Means for Early Years Settings 

What It Means for Early Years 

The Government’s new strategy, Giving Every Child the Best Start in Life, sets out a bold plan to transform early years support across England. The goal? To ensure that every child, regardless of background, can thrive in their earliest years and arrive at school ready to learn.   

Why Early Years Matters More Than Ever  

The strategy begins with a strong message: a child’s success in life starts with their earliest experiences. Strong early development - talking, playing, managing emotions, and building relationships - lays the foundation for success at school and beyond. Yet too many children are falling behind, often due to poverty, discrimination, poor access to support, and underfunded services. 

The Government’s mission is clear: by 2028, they want a record number of children to be “school ready” by the time they reach Reception. 

The Challenge: A System That Needs Repair  

Despite parents doing their best, many face real struggles - housing instability, mental health challenges, low income, and a confusing childcare system. Key services like children’s centres and early parenting support have been reduced over the last decade, and many families report difficulty accessing high-quality, affordable childcare, especially for children with SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities). 

The paper highlights that White working-class children are especially likely to fall behind on early learning goals, and child poverty continues to have a direct impact on children’s health and development. A renewed focus on supporting families, not just children, is therefore critical. 

The Government’s Plan for Change

 The strategy outlines a multi-pronged approach built around three core aims: 

1. Build Better Family Support Services 

  The strategy outlines a multi-pronged approach built around three core aims: 

A major part of the plan is launching a new “Best Start Family Service”. This will include: 

• Best Start Family Hubs in every local authority - accessible spaces offering support with parenting, health, early education, and community services. 
• A digital hub (linked to the NHS app) offering trusted advice, guidance, and easy links to local services. 
• Locally tailored Best Start Plans, co-created by councils and communities to meet real needs. 

Health services will also be improved with: 

• Better maternity care and health visiting 
• Increased access to childhood vaccinations 
• A renewed focus on reducing tooth decay 

What it means for you: Expect stronger links between your setting and health services, along with easier ways to signpost families to trusted local support. 

2. Make Early Education and Childcare More Affordable and Inclusive 

The Government is committing over £9 billion a year by 2028–29 to strengthen early education and childcare. This includes: 

• 30 hours of funded childcare for working families of children from 9 months old (saving eligible families an average of £7,500/year) 
• New childcare places, including 6,000 places in school nurseries from September 2025 
• Increased Early Years Pupil Premium to better support low-income children 
• More support for children with SEND, including funding for early intervention and inclusive practice 

To ensure fairness, the Government will review how funding is allocated and give local authorities more power to plan childcare places and ensure accessibility for all - including childminders. 

What it means for you: Expect changes to how your setting receives and allocates funding, with more focus on inclusion, staffing sustainability, and local demand. 

3. Raise the Quality and Status of the Early Years Workforce 

Improving outcomes for children relies on well-trained, valued early years professionals. The Government plans to: 

• Create a new professional register to elevate the status of early years educators 
• Offer more training routes and financial incentives for early years teachers, especially in disadvantaged areas 
• Fund Stronger Practice Hubs and nursery-school partnerships to share expertise and improve transitions to Reception 
• Make inclusive practice standard by embedding SEND support into all early years training 
• Prioritise Reception Year teaching quality, particularly early language development, through regional improvement support 

What it means for you: Expect more access to training, clearer progression routes, and greater focus on inclusion and early language skills across all settings. 

Supporting Long-Term Reform 

The early years reform is just one part of a wider effort to tackle child poverty and inequality and improve family life. The Government also plans to: 

• Appoint a Best Start in Life Champion to oversee progress and promote early years within government 
• Review parental leave and pay to help parents bond and support child development 
• Align this work with the NHS’s 10-Year Health Plan, focusing on prevention, digital access, and community care 

What it means for you: You’ll be part of a broader mission to give every family the support they need - before problems escalate. 

Final Thoughts for Early Years Practitioners 

This plan recognises something you already know: the early years are everything. Your role as an educator, caregiver and advocate is vital - not just for the children in your care, but for their families and the wider community. 

This new direction puts you at the centre of national reform. Expect more collaboration across health, education and community sectors. Expect a push to recognise, support, and develop the workforce. And, most importantly, expect families to receive clearer, simpler, and more consistent support. 

Key Takeaways for Early Years Professionals 

✔️ Family Hubs and digital tools will improve access to parenting and health support
✔️ 30 funded hours for under 2s will increase demand and ease financial pressure on families
✔️ More support and inclusion for children with SEND 
✔️ Extra investment in early years training and career development
✔️ Stronger partnerships between nurseries, schools, and health teams
✔️ A clearer, more joined-up early years system built on local needs 

As the strategy states, “These are the first steps to a decade of national renewal.” Early years practitioners like you will help lead the way.