Liverpool City Council has today unveiled its Best Start for Life Local Plan, representing a city-wide commitment to ensuring every child grows up healthy, safe, confident, and ready to learn.
Rooted in strong partnership working, the plan sets out a blueprint for transforming early years support across health, education, care, and community services.
This strategic document outlines the city’s approach to early identification, inclusive early education, stronger family support, and joined-up pathways from pregnancy to age five.
It aligns with national priorities while reflecting the unique strengths and needs of families across Liverpool’s diverse communities.
At the heart of the plan is an ambitious shared goal for the city’s youngest residents.
By 2028, 71% of Liverpool children will achieve a Good Level of Development (GLD) at the end of Reception, including 56.4% of children eligible for free school meals.
A Good Level of Development is a statutory assessment of children’s development at the end of the reception year and is made up of an assessment of each child’s outcomes in relation to seven areas of learning.
These include communication and language, physical development, personal, social and emotional development (PSED), literacy, mathematics, understanding the world, and expressive arts and design.
Core Priorities for Transforming Support
The plan will be delivered through three core priorities designed to create a more effective support network for parents and children.
These include providing better support for families earlier, creating more accessible early education and childcare, and improving quality across the early years system.
Key themes throughout the strategy focus on the early identification of needs, targeted support for disadvantaged children, and the importance of evidencing impact.
Furthermore, there is a significant emphasis on engaging dads and wider family networks to ensure a holistic approach to child development.
By focusing on these areas, the council aims to remove the barriers that many families currently face.
Leadership and Strategic Reaction
Councillor Joanne Kennedy, Cabinet Member for Employment, Educational Attainment and Skills, said:
“Too many families still face barriers shaped by poverty, inequality, or limited access to the right support at the right time.
“This plan is our response and a collective pledge to change that.
“Our Family Hubs approach connects families with high-quality early learning, inclusive services and welcoming community spaces that make sense to them.
“When parents and carers feel supported and empowered, children thrive. I am incredibly proud of the partnerships behind this plan.
“By working together, we can build a system that families trust, and that gives every child the best possible start in life.”
Jenny Glennard, Corporate Director of Children and Young People’s Services, said:
“Every child deserves the chance to thrive, no matter where they begin.
“The early years matter profoundly, they shape a child’s relationships, wellbeing and the foundations of their future learning and life chances.
“This plan sets out our ambition for an early years system that feels coherent, connected and rooted in strong partnership.
“It means working across health, education, care, and the voluntary sector to remove duplication and ensure every family feels listened to, respected, and supported.
“Our target for 2028 is not just a number, it is a promise to our children and our city.”
