Social Services: Buckingham and Bletchley
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of families are unable to access family support services in Buckingham and Bletchley constituency.
Answered by Janet Daby
The department does not currently hold data to determine the proportion of families who are unable to access family support services at constituency level. However, a 2024 survey by UNICEF UK and the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children found that one in four families with children under five cannot access local children’s centres or Family Hubs, rising to one in three low-income families.
On 7 July 2025, the government published ‘Giving every child the Best Start in Life’. This outlines our commitment to deliver a new Best Start Family Service to bring together parenting, healthcare and education support services, as well as creating and funding Best Start Family Hubs in every local authority. Local authorities not currently receiving funding for the programme this year will receive a development grant to support their preparations, ahead of national rollout of Best Start Family Hubs from April 2026.
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