APPG on Babies meets Minister 

This week (2 July 2025), the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Babies (Pregnancy to Age Two) met Ashley Dalton MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health and Prevention at the Department of Health and Social Care. 

Maya Ellis MP welcomed MPs and outlined her research to date and meetings with sector experts including Dame Andrea Leadsom and Naomi Eisenstadt.  

Maya explained the APPG’s interest in how to put babies’ development at the heart of changes to early education and childcare policy.   She noted the government’s target that 75% of children should reach a ‘good level of development’ aged 5, and the importance of supporting 0-2s to achieve this. 

Keith Reed, Chief Executive of the Parent-Infant Foundation and Matthew Dodd, Head of Policy at the National Children’s Bureau were invited to speak.  Keith said approximately one in ten babies leave hospital to environments marked by fear and distress, but only 5% get specialist help. Despite NICE guidance, intervention often comes too late and is one reason that Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services are overwhelmed.  Keith said a commitment to a tangible service in every area was needed, along with an expansion of the Start for Life Programme.  Matthew said the UK is well-known internationally for pioneering approaches to integrated family support in the early years, through Sure Start and then Start for Life. We know what the ‘building blocks’ are, and what works.   

Minister Dalton noted that the first 1001 days set the foundation for cognitive and physical development. She said making sure families can access quality support is key to tackling health inequalities, and that government are interested in the experience of the Better Start programme. Minister Dalton said the government was committed to delivering both the Family Hubs and Start for Life programmes. She flagged that the government’s 10-year health plan for England includes opportunities for babies, particularly under the strategic shift to move services from hospital to the community and the neighbourhood model of healthcare.  

MPs Jess Fuller-Brown, Jen Craft, Becky Gittins and Dr Kieran Mullan discussed a range of issues impacting babies and families.  These included digitizing the red book, breastfeeding advice in relation to allergies, the proliferation on social media of incorrect advice about pregnancy, and a lack of health visitor time.