The Government’s Best Start in Life strategy

This week the Government published their Best Start in Life strategy.

This is a welcome step forward towards creating a system that supports every child to thrive. With a strong focus on early intervention and accessibility which will boost children’s life chances, this strategy marks the start of an ambitious approach to early years reform.

To truly deliver on the ambition of the Best Start in Life strategy, the Government must guarantee sustained investment, strong cross-sector collaboration, and a joined-up approach to tackling child poverty.

The Government is taking great strides to tackle hunger as a barrier to learning in schools through its free breakfast programme for primary-aged children and the expansion of Free School Meals to all children living in households receiving Universal Credit, including in early years settings. Expanding free breakfast provision to nursery-aged children is one action that the Government can take to achieve their ambition of levelling the playing field for every child.

Too many children start their day too hungry to play and thrive and enter reception with poor eating habits and worsening nutrition. As the strategy itself acknowledges, ‘the foundations of success are laid in early childhood.’

Magic Breakfast stands ready to help play our part.