Labour MP Jess Asato has backed a cross-party Bill aimed at improving support for babies and young children, arguing that every child deserves the best possible start in life and that government should be held accountable for progress.
The Lowestoft MP spoke in Parliament in support of the Infants, Parents and Carers Bill, a private member's bill introduced by Conservative MP Sir Desmond Swayne. The Bill would require the Government to assess the need for infant support services in England and work to ensure an appropriate level of provision.
Asato said:
"Every baby deserves the best possible start in life."
She added that the legislation was designed to improve support and outcomes for babies and young children while ensuring ministers can be held accountable for whether services are actually improving.
Asato gives Bill her 'wholehearted support'
Speaking at the Bill's second reading on 4 September, Asato described it as "important and necessary" and said it had her wholehearted support.
She told MPs that research increasingly demonstrates the importance of the first years of a child's life and the value of giving parents the support they need to build strong relationships with their babies.
Asato also linked the Bill to the legacy of Sure Start, recalling her previous work for Dame Tessa Jowell and arguing that early intervention can help break cycles of disadvantage and intergenerational trauma.
Bill would assess gaps in early-years support
The Infants, Parents and Carers Bill focuses on the availability of services for families during the earliest stages of a child's life.
According to the House of Commons Library, it would require government to assess the need for infant support services across England and take steps towards ensuring appropriate provision.
The legislation is cross-party and comes amid wider debate about family hubs, early intervention, maternal and infant mental health and the support available to parents during the first 1,001 days of a child's life.
Asato chairs parliamentary group on children
Asato is also chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Children, which works across party lines to put children's experiences and wellbeing at the centre of policymaking.
Her parliamentary work has repeatedly focused on preventive services for children. During debate on the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill, she argued that cuts to early intervention had left government spending far more on crisis response than prevention.
Focus on prevention rather than crisis intervention
Supporters of the Bill argue that better services in infancy can improve health, development and family wellbeing while reducing the need for more expensive interventions later.
For Asato, that is the central case for action: government should invest earlier, make support easier for families to access and measure whether children are receiving the start in life they need.
Her message is that support for babies and parents should not depend on geography or circumstance - and that early-years policy should be judged on whether it gives every child the strongest possible foundation for the future.
