Jade Botterill MP: Delivering for the next generation and their parents

My first proper job was working as a Community Development Officer for the Wakefield Trinity Community Foundation, teaching physical education and dance to kids from every background across the M62 corridor. Every day I got to help local children dance, play, develop their confidence and social skills, and start to build their hopes and dreams.

But when the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition took power, they severely cut funding for Sure Start centres which provided support and childcare to parents, and opportunity and aspiration to their children.

I couldn’t understand it - all the evidence showed Sure Start centres improved educational attainment, reduced poverty, helped local parents and saved the Government money in the long run, but they cut them anyway. The impact of the children in my classes, and their parents at pickup, was almost immediate.

It was campaigning against the closure of my local Sure Start centre, campaigning for the children I was teaching, that got me into politics.

That is why I am so proud that the Labour Government has begun the job of rebuilding early childhood support, giving every child the chance to succeed and every parent somewhere to turn for advice and support.

We are building on the legacy of Sure Start, delivering up to 1,000 Best Start Family Hubs across every area of our country by April next year. This will include the creation of new Hubs in areas without them, and upgrading the existing Family Hubs and Start for Life programmes.

Backed by £1.5 billion of investment, we will deliver a step change in early education to restore crumbling family services and get tens of thousands more children starting school ready to learn.

These Hubs will act as a one stop shop for parents seeking a range of support, including on difficulty breastfeeding, housing issues or children’s early development and language, and will be set up with consultation with local communities, who have a clear understanding of what they need.

The Hubs will be supported by wider reforms to the early years sector, strengthening partnerships between nurseries and schools, and ensuring places are available in every community. The Government will also provide £4,500 tax-free payments to attract the best talent to early years education and keep more early years teachers in the most disadvantaged communities.

The Government is levelling the playing field for the next generation so that a child’s background doesn't determine their potential, and hardworking parents are supported by their community.

The generation of children that I taught were let down by people following ideology not evidence, and who couldn’t see the impact of what they were doing from their offices in London. I am proud that this Government is ensuring that local children get the chances they deserve.

This is the difference a Labour Government can make.