Best Start in Life: Vision and need for change
Raising a child is a daunting task for any and all families, no matter their circumstances. No family or parent should feel alone in this task.
Foreword by Cllr Webb and Cllr Steels-Walshaw
Every family in York deserves to feel supported, connected, and that they belong from the start. This Best Start in Life plan is our shared commitment to families across the city: that you won’t have to navigate your child’s early years alone, and that help will always be close by, in the places you already know and trust.
We’ve listened to parents, carers, and communities. You told us that what matters most is feeling part of something. Having people who know you, who understand your story, and who can offer the right support at the right time. That’s why the themes Connect -Support -Belong sit at the heart of this plan. They reflect the simple truth, that strong relationships and strong communities give children the best chance to thrive.
This plan builds on our Family Hubs offer and brings services closer to home, so people can find support in their own neighbourhoods and communities. It builds on the kindness, commitment, and expertise already present across York, in health care, early years settings, schools, voluntary groups, and community organisations. And it sets out how we will work together in a more joined-up and compassionate way, making it easier for families to get the help they need without having to repeat their story.
We are proud to share this plan as a joint commitment from across our local partnership. Together with families and communities, we will make York a place where every child grows up healthy, safe, and full of possibility. And where every family feels they truly belong
Our vision for the Best Start in Life
Our vision is that all children and young people:
- get the best start in life
- are happy and healthy
- stay safe
- develop the skills and relationships they need to thrive into adulthood
Best Start in Life targets we will meet
We will meet the targets set by the UK Government focused on outcomes which are measure through an assessment that takes place at the end of Reception year in school:
- The proportion of children in City of York Council achieving a Good Level of Development at the end of the 2027/28 academic year is at least 79%
- The proportion of children eligible for Free School Meals (FSM) and achieving a Good Level of Development at the end of the 2027/28 academic year is at least 58.1%.
Our ambition for the Best Start in Life
Our ambition goes beyond numbers.
By 2030, we want families to feel that the Early Years system that supports the earliest years is something they recognise, trust, and shaped. A system that listens, involves, learns and walks alongside families to help shape their child’s future.
Why change is needed
York is a city full of strengths, but not everyone gets to experience its strengths fairly.
Around 30% of children do not achieve a Good Level of Development, and inequalities appear early - often by a child’s first birthday - and can continue throughout life.
Families tell us they often feel unsure what to expect at different stages, and professionals tell us there is no shared definition of ‘expected development’ across services.
Families also describe a system that can feel fragmented, in which they can be left not knowing where to turn, feeling judged and having to retell their story. Universal services reach almost all families, but they often operate in parallel.
Many families say they would be more likely to seek support from within their own communities.
This is why it is important that our plan builds on the many great assets already in York, addressing provision in the communities where families live their lives.
We also know that current times brings new challenges to raising children. The cost of living is rising compounding inequalities; modern workplaces can feel ‘always on’; screen time use is increasing; social media can help spread misinformation. Families are under growing pressure from commercial marketing, including products that do not support family’s long term health.
Our plan is built on our understanding that a modern system tha t supports early years development must be more than a collection of services. It must be a network of trusted relationships; between families, professionals, and communities.
The plan will embed prevention and early intervention. This includes the fundamental building blocks of support, such as stable housing, income and employment.
What families have said
Through Raise York Family Hub involvement work with over 2000 families across the city, we have developed our shared Raise York family outcomes:
Increased knowledge, through knowing where to access the right support, and information
- Increased confidence, through feeling accepted in a non-judgemental way
- Increased resilience through access to the right support and resources
- Reduced isolation, through access to child and parent activities
- Increase in social networks and a sense of belonging
Families are clear that they want to be part of shaping the support they receive and that sometimes the most powerful support comes from another parent who has been through similar experiences.
A clearer focus on families who could benefit most
Our needs assessment shows that we now have a much clearer picture of the families whose children are least likely to reach a Good Level of Development.
The needs assessment highlights the pressures that prevent children from getting their best start in life:
- financial strain
- insecure housing
- poor mental health
- limited support networks
What stands out is that the families who could benefit most are the least connected to the system. This reflects a system that has not always been easy to reach, understand, or trust. This Best Start in Life plan is shaped with those families in mind. Not by creating a separate offer, but by designing a system that works better for everyone: simpler to navigate, more relational, and rooted in local neighbourhoods.
Families who could benefit most are at the centre of this plan. Their experiences have shaped the priorities, the approach, the design, and the ambition.
The plan will continually develop and evolve, as we continue to work with families, sharing the developments around what is important to families, in the places they live their lives.
Families will continue to guide how York learns, adapts, and strengthens its early years system.
A fuller summary of the evidence underpinning the Best Start in Life plan will be hosted within the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA).