Funding has been awarded to Cambridgeshire County Council under the government’s ‘Best Start in Life’ scheme, which is part of the ‘Plan for Change’ pledge.
The Plan for Change incorporates the milestones that the government aims to reach by the end of this Parliament, one of which is giving children the best start in life.
As part of this plan, an initial development grant of approximately £200K has been awarded to the council, with the main grant expected next April. The total value of the main grant has not yet been shared with the council.
The overall funding is for three years and has the objective that by 2028 75.5% of reception aged children will be assessed to have a good level of development and ready to start at school.
Cambridgeshire County Council’s Early Years, Childcare and School Readiness Service will be working in partnership with the council’s targeted support and public health teams to deliver the project, ensuring a collaborative and holistic approach.
Cllr Edna Murphy, Chair of the Children and Young People’s Committee at Cambridgeshire County Council said: “I am extremely pleased that we have been awarded this grant, which will enable us to provide better support for families across Cambridgeshire.
“This additional funding will provide opportunities to help children to thrive by focusing support to children in their early years where we know we can make the biggest difference.
“The money will be used to create a new Family Hub at one of our existing Child and Family Centres and enhance our Home Learning scheme - I know these resources will make a big difference to families across Cambridgeshire.”
