Autumn Budget Response

The Parent-Infant Foundation has been campaigning hard over the past few months to try and ensure the most vulnerable babies are supported in the Autumn Budget. Having reviewed the documents published today, we are disappointed that this Budget doesn’t do enough to help new parents and babies in the crucial early months. 

Chancellor Rachel Reeves said today the government wants every child to have the best start in life, but reduced funding for Start for Life services.  Although the Budget announced £69 million of funding for Family Hubs, a hub only helps if families can access services.  And over-stretched local authorities say they cannot provide Start for life services without dedicated funding.   

Introduced by the last government, the Start for Life programme funds services that support parents who are struggling to bond with their baby or to breastfeed.  More than 1 in 10 women struggle to bond with their baby in the first few weeks after birth and breastfeeding rates in the UK are below comparator countries.    

As Lord Darzi writes, “Everybody knows that prevention is better than cure. Interventions that protect health tend to be far less costly than dealing with the consequences of illness.”  The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood recently estimated that prioritising early childhood development could add £45.5 billion to the UK economy each year. The demise of Start for Life makes little economic sense and could prove catastrophic for thousands of vulnerable babies.

Although we are disappointed in the limited support offered for babies in today’s Budget announcements, we will keep campaigning and working with partners to make sure babies are not left behind. We have contacted officials today seeking confirmation of how services funded by Start for Life can be sustained.