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Start for Life renamed Healthy Babies programme
New Best Start Family Hubs and Healthy Babies: guidance for local authorities was published by the government on 4th December, confirming a further change in terminology. The guidance states that Start for Life services are to be renamed Healthy Babies services. ‘Core services’ are still parent-infant relationships, infant feeding and perinatal mental health. Speaking to the…
Read More2025 – Celebrating success and progress for babies
As 2025 comes to a close, we’re celebrating how our work at the Parent-Infant Foundation is continuing to make a difference for babies, families, and professionals. The number of specialised parent-infant relationship teams and services grew again this year. There are now 51 parent-infant teams across the UK, as well as numerous smaller services in…
Read MoreParent-Infant Foundation responds to Government’s latest spending review
Earlier today Chancellor Rachel Reeves MP set out the government’s spending for the next three years in the Spending Review. Reflecting on the announcements, Keith Reed, Chief Executive at the Parent-Infant Foundation said: “We welcome the commitment in today’s Spending Review to continue to “invest in and expand the Family Hubs programme, working with parents…
Read MoreReport estimates that supporting parent-infant relationships could deliver £900m benefit each year
A new report, written by Steve McKay and commissioned by the Parent-Infant Foundation is the first of its kind to show the potential economic value of supporting parent-infant relationships in the earliest years. The research and report, ‘Maternal Attachment and Child Outcomes’, was completed using data from the mothers and babies that took part in…
Read MoreNew Welsh Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy highlights parent-infant relationships
Welsh Government have published a new 10-year strategy for mental health and wellbeing, along with a delivery plan for the next three years. The new strategy aims to join up and align health and social care services across Wales, and we welcome its recognition of the importance of early relationships between babies and their parents…
Read MoreNew Parliamentary Group for Babies launched
The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) supported by the Parent-Infant Foundation in the last parliament, has re-formed with a new name. The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Babies (Pregnancy to Age two) is now registered and the Foundation will continue to act as the Group’s secretariat. The APPG on Babies (Pregnancy to Age Two) has registered…
Read MoreNHS 10-Year Health Plan consultation response
The first stage of the NHS 10-Year Health Plan consultation has now closed. We hope many of you found time to respond and help us speak up for babies so that they are included in the government’s plans for the health service. In our response on behalf of the Foundation, we urged the NHS to…
Read MoreParent-Infant Foundation campaign to save Start for Life
Ahead of the Budget on Wednesday, the Parent-Infant Foundation has been campaigning hard for the government to extend funding for Start for Life. Currently the programme funding ends on 1 April 2025, and local leaders are worried about the future of services that support babies and their families. Over the summer we surveyed local authorities…
Read MoreWhat’s in the political parties’ manifestos for babies?
By Tamora Langley, Head of Policy and Communications at the Parent-Infant Foundation After working with the First 1001 Days Steering Group to develop and launch the ‘Manifesto for Babies’ earlier this year, we have been waiting to see what the political parties would commit to in their manifestos. All have now been published, so what…
Read MoreNew toolkit aims to increase support for parent and infant relationships across the UK
A new resource just launched by The Parent-Infant Foundation and Newcastle University, which aims to address a huge gap in support services for parents and babies across the UK, has been welcomed by the Rt Hon. Dame Andrea Leadsom DBE MP. The ‘Parent-Infant Relationships (PAIR) Services Commissioning Toolkit’, developed by the Parent-Infant Foundation and Newcastle…
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