Best Start in Life in Bolton
The Best Start in Life Plan outlines the support children need from pregnancy through early childhood to ensure healthy development and future success, and it underpins Bolton’s approach to supporting families at the earliest point.
Bolton’s Best Start in Life plan brings together education, health and community support to ensure every child in the borough has the opportunity to thrive.
Bolton’s vision
By working together, we will empower families to provide the nurturing care children need to thrive from their earliest years.
We will enhance the availability, quality and impact of universal information, advice and support, ensuring families can access the right help at the right time, both in-person and online. Through strong relationships, positive early experiences and high-quality support, we will help every child to develop, learn and be ready for school. This supports Bolton’s vision that every child is Safe, Healthy, Achieves and Belongs.
Best Start in Life Strategy
In July 2025, the Department for Education published the Giving Every Child the Best Start in Life Strategy. The government's strategy is to improve child development and meeting the ambition that 75% of 5-year-olds in England have a good level of development by 2028.
Best Start in Life Plan
The government has asked that every local authority in England develops their Best Start in Life Plan. Bolton’s Best Start in Life Local Plan has been developed by considering the services that we provide to families both within the Best Start Family Hubs and within our communities. Our plan identifies key priorities which will support delivery of our vision and the improvement in Good Level of Development.
This plan has been updated in October 2026 to strengthen our priorities. The changes are as a result of further analysis of our data, readiness for change assessments carried out across the partnership, and the development of operational plans and outcomes framework.
Next steps
We recognise the vital role of partnership working in achieving our shared vision.
Through the readiness for change assessments that have been carried out across the partnership operational plans are being finalised.