Welcome

We know that the first 1,001 days from conception to age 2 are a unique period for a baby that sets the foundations for lifelong emotional and physical wellbeing.

Giving Every Child the Best Start in Life is the Government’s strategy published in July 2025 for improving child health and development across the country to break the link between a child’s background and their future success. At the heart of the Government’s strategy is an ambition that 75% of 5-year-olds in England have a good level of development by 2028.

The Best Start in Life programme forms an essential element of the enhancement and next phase of our Early Help Strategy, which will support us to achieve our dream. Therefore, this Plan refers to, and is shaped by, our wider Early Help Strategy for Bromley and it will help to ensure that this ambition is achieved in Bromley.

This plan is designed to inform and influence the discussions held in the borough to identify, agree and implement the changes required to deliver our vision and achieve our dream. It is a live document which is updated regularly as the borough continues to embed significant transformation programmes across children’s services. This ensures that the plan remains relevant, flexible and responsive to our implementation of the Best Start in Life programme.

An action plan will be developed during 2026 pulling together the different strands of work to implement the priorities and actions identified in this plan. This will be overseen, monitored and evaluated by the Best Start in Life Working Group which reports to the Early Help Strategic Board.

Further updates to this plan and the action plan will be published as we implement this exciting programme to give each child the best start in life in our borough.

Janet Bailey

Director of Children, Education and Families