Help for young Lincolnshire minority families to be cut
The Best Start Lincolnshire: Inclusion Service aims to help families access all of the help available, regardless of language or cultural barriers
A “valued” service which helps young Lincolnshire children from ethnic minority families get the best start in life is set to be cut later this year, new plans have revealed.
The Best Start Lincolnshire: Inclusion Service aims to help families access all of the help available, regardless of language or cultural barriers.
However, Reform-run Lincolnshire County Council is proposing not to renew it after August 2026, saying help is available elsewhere and funding could be moved to urgent areas.
40 per cent of parents who responded to a public consultation said the cut would make it more difficult for them to access children’s centres and family hubs, with another 24 per cent saying it would completely stop them.
The service began county-wide in 2023, costing around £130,000 per year, and is delivered through family hubs and children’s homes.
It offers translation support in Bulgarian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Polish, Romanian, Russian and Ukrainian.
A council report says that the number of ethnic minority children under five has shrunk since the service began.
While the cut is proposed, the council says there would still be other programmes available if the service ends, including the Early Years and Family Service, the Health Visiting Service, and free translation tools.
Council officials say most authorities don’t offer a service specifically targeted at ethnic minority children, and it isn’t a legal requirement.
The proposed cut will be discussed at a meeting of the Children’s & Culture Committee on Friday, March 6.
A council report says: “The Best Start Lincolnshire: Inclusion Service is performing well and is valued by both families and professionals. Consultation findings indicate that most respondents want the service to continue, despite 49 per cent not using the service.
“Given the council budget pressures raised through the budget process, with an inherent risk of higher cost increases in later years than planned, it is recommended that no longer commissioning the service is proportionate.
“The council should focus on maximising inclusive support within other services, particularly the Best Start Lincolnshire Early Years and Family Service.”