National Evaluation of Start for Life

The Family Hubs and Start for Life programme is a UK government programme that provides services to support parents and carers from a child’s conception until their second birthday, aiming to transform support for families in 75 local authorities in England. It helps meet commitments in The best start for life: a vision for the 1,001 critical days, published as government policy in March 2021. The programme’s objective is to join up and enhance services delivered through transformed family hubs in local authority areas, ensuring all parents and carers can access the support they need when they need it. It will also support the creation of a network of family hubs.

The evaluation is examining the implementation process and impact of the Start for Life programme using a range of research methods.

Project lead: Jane Barlow (Oxford University)

Funder: NIHR

Collaborators: Michelle Sleed, Jess Deighton, Julian Edbrooke-Childs, Skye Reynolds, Lorna Crossan, Rachel McGuire, Guilherme Fiorini, Nicole Robinson-Edwards (Anna Freud); Laurie Day (Ecorys), Gabriella Conti (UCL), Pasco Fearon (Cambridge)

Duration: April 2023 – July 2026 (3 years and 3 months)

Project partners: Oxford University, University College London, Cambridge University, Ecorys

Find out more here: https://startforlifeevaluation.uk/

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