Blackburn early years service featured in national research on family support

Blackburn with Darwen Council’s Early Years Service has taken part in research exploring how early learning, education and childcare can be better integrated with wider family support.

The study, commissioned by Nesta and carried out by ISOS Partnership, worked with nine councils including Blackburn with Darwen to gather qualitative and quantitative data for the report. Information was also collected from 65 other local authorities through online forms.

Running between summer 2025 and spring 2026, the research looked at current approaches to integration and what a more joined-up early years system could look like in future.

The borough’s perinatal mental health services and its network of family hubs and children’s centres were included as case studies.

The perinatal mental health case study highlighted Blackburn with Darwen’s support for families across community and health services, including Parent and Infant Relationship Service (PAIRs), Lancashire Women’s support for parents of children in neonatal intensive care units, enhanced home visiting support from Home-Start and Dads Matter, and support from Lancashire Mind for parents who have experienced miscarriage or baby loss.

The second case study referred to the borough’s network of Family Hubs and Children’s Centres, which offers families health visits, midwifery, paediatrics, early years development, SEND, early help and a range of community services through a single one-stop-shop.

Executive Member of Children’s, Young People and Education, Julie Gunn, said: “In Blackburn with Darwen, we recognise that high-quality early education and childcare, delivered through our valued network of private, voluntary and independent (PVI) providers and childminders, is key to giving children the best start in life. Through strong partnerships across Early Years, Early Help, Family Hubs and the wider Start for Life programme, we have created a connected system of support for children and families.

“High-quality early education helps children’s learning, development, and school readiness, while coordinated support for parents and carers strengthens family wellbeing, resilience and the home learning environment.

“Together, these services help children and families thrive and contribute to increasing numbers of children achieving a good level of development. This is a central part of Blackburn with Darwen’s Best Start in Life strategy.”

More information on early years education and provision in Blackburn with Darwen is available on the council’s website.

ISOS Partnership is a research and advisory company which says it has worked with national and local government, charities, schools and trusts for more than two decades.

Nesta describes itself as a research and innovation foundation focused on breaking the link between family background and life chances, halving obesity and cutting household carbon emissions by 2030.