Foreword
Coventry is committed to giving every child a Bold Start and a Bright Future, placing this ambition at the heart of our work to reduce inequalities and improve outcomes for families.
As Coventry continues to grow and change, with increasing diversity and ongoing social and economic pressures, it is more important than ever that we work together as one system to support children and families from pregnancy through to school entry.
The earliest years of life are critical in shaping lifelong health, learning and wellbeing, and while progress has been made, inequalities remain. Rising numbers of children with SEND and newly arrived families reinforce the need to maintain a strong focus on early communication, language, and socio-emotional development as the foundation for future success.
Coventry is well placed to respond. Our Best Start Family Hubs and strong partnership arrangements provide a solid foundation for an integrated early years system. By bringing together health, education, public health, SEND services, Families First partnerships and voluntary, community, and faith organisations, we can ensure families receive timely, coordinated, and effective support.
Our Marmot commitment further strengthens this work, keeping a clear focus on tackling inequalities and improving outcomes for all children.
This Best Start in Life Strategy sets out our shared ambition and approach. It places families at the heart of everything we do, recognising parents as partners and ensuring services are inclusive, responsive, and shaped by what matters most to them. It also recognises that improving early outcomes means addressing the wider factors that affect family life, including housing, income, and parental wellbeing.
This is a call for collective action. By working together with a shared purpose, we can deliver a more joined-up, proactive and effective system of support, ensuring every child in Coventry has a Bold Start and a Bright Future.
Sukriti Sen, Director of Children and Education Service, and Allison Duggal, Director of Public Health.