To mark the national Day of Reflection for the COVID-19 pandemic, we are reflecting on the research, support and guidance we provided during and following this unprecedented period of uncertainty and loss.
The ‘Big Little Moments’ campaign - developed by The National Lottery Community Fund with each of the five partnerships - set out to promote parenting behaviours to support good early child development in children up to four years old.
NCB is part of the national evaluation team for A Better Start which is led by the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen). The evaluation programme began in April 2021 and will continue until March 2026.
The Lambeth Early Action Partnership (LEAP) was one of five local partnerships that made up A Better Start. NCB was the accountable body for the LEAP programme and hosted it within the NCB family between 2015 and 2025.
Between 2019 and 2025, NCB worked with all five A Better Start partnerships to develop a series of Insight Reports to help amplify the learning from the programme.
Given the new government’s aims to "raise the healthiest generation of children ever" and to "break down barriers to opportunity", we believe it would be counterproductive to remove funding for the Start for Life and Family Hubs programme and that costs would escalate in the long run.
A Better Start focuses on improving the life chances of babies and very young children by changing the way services are commissioned and delivered and involving parents as equal partners.
