A new Armed Forces Toolkit is being launched to help military families access better, more tailored support through the Government’s new Best Start Family Hubs.
Developed through the National Centre for Family Hubs, the toolkit will help hub staff better understand and respond to the unique experiences of military families, including deployment, frequent moves, separation and transitions.
Best Start Family Hubs bring together health, parenting advice, early years support and practical help under one roof, free and close to home. The rollout is backed by over ÂŁ900 million of Government investment, with up to 1,000 hubs planned across England by the end of 2028.
The toolkit follows campaigning from Alex Baker MP and builds on recommendations made in her report, Forces Families Deserve the Best Start, which called for better joined-up support for service families through family hubs.
Early Education Minister Olivia Bailey recently visited Aldershot Garrison Community Hub to see joined-up support for service families in action and discuss how Best Start Family Hubs can strengthen support for military families.
What military families can expect
Hub staff will be aware of the specific pressures of service life – including the cumulative impact of frequent moves, deployment, separation and bereavement – and equipped to discuss these sensitively and connect families to the right support.
Support for service families includes access to the Army, Naval and RAF Families Federations, the MoD’s Education Advisory Team for advice on school admissions, SEND and transitions, and organisations like SSAFA and the Royal British Legion. Hub staff will also be aware of whether their local authority is a member of the MoD Local Authority Partnership, to help smooth school transitions for Service children with additional needs.
On top of this, every hub will offer families access to free stay and play sessions which can help save families up to £200 a year – alongside debt advice, welfare guidance, parenting programmes, and early identification of SEND, reducing the need for families to navigate multiple services at a difficult time
Alex Baker MP, Member of Parliament for Aldershot and Farnborough:
“Military families deserve public services that understand the realities of service life.
“After campaigning on this for over a year, working with service charities and families, I’m delighted that the Department for Education is acting on our recommendations.
“This new Armed Forces Toolkit will help make sure military families can access better, more tailored support through Best Start Family Hubs, wherever service life takes them.”
Olivia Bailey MP, Minister for Early Education and Equalities said:
“Military families give so much in service to our country, and they deserve a system that gives something back – one that understands the unique pressures they face and wraps around them when they need it most.
“For too long, those families have had to navigate support on their own, often moving to a new area with no local connections and no obvious place to turn. Best Start Family Hubs change that – offering a friendly door to open, free and close to home, wherever in the country service life takes you.
“Thanks to Alex Baker for her tireless campaigning on behalf of armed forces families which has helped to make this a reality.”
Â
The Armed Forces Toolkit is now available through the National Centre for Family Hubs, alongside further guidance and resources for Best Start Family Hub staff and local partners.
The Government is also working towards a military champion in every Best Start Family Hub, so the needs of service families are consistently recognised and understood.
