Four new family hubs to open over next two months

West Northamptonshire Council is opening another four family hubs, with a further three planned

Four new family hubs offering support for families with children aged up to 19 will be launched by a council in October and November.

The centres in Northamptonshire will allow parents and carers to access services, including parenting support, early years activities, baby classes, health advice and half-term activities.

The Reform UK-led West Northamptonshire Council said the hubs in Upton, Moulton, Daventry and Kingsthorpe were part of a new strategy to help families over the next three years.

Kathryn Shaw, the cabinet member for children, families and education, said the council wanted to make the area a "place where every child has the best start in life and every family feels supported".

The Family Help Strategy, which includes the hubs, was approved by the council cabinet at a meeting on 13 October, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

A family hub is already running at The Forum in Towcester and along with the new four hubs being opened, three further hubs in Northampton, Weston Favell and Brackley have also been proposed.

Sally Keeble, the leader of the Labour group on the council, criticised the locations of the hubs.

"Families in the most insecure, most overcrowded housing, in the lowest paid jobs with the highest level of multiple deprivation are without the services and without the family hubs," she said.

Melanie Barnett, the authority's director of children's services, said the council looked at its existing children's centres and which ones would be "most viable" when considering different locations.

She added that consultation with partners, families and young people also supported the authority's choice of hubs.

The council is yet to receive any funding from the government specifically for the hubs, but Ms Barnett said she had been assured by the Department for Education it would receive money for the scheme.