“This £1.9 million investment is a huge boost for Warrington and will make a real difference to families across our borough,” said Cllr Matt Smith as the council confirmed new funding for Best Start Family Hubs. Warrington’s first hub opened in Dallam last year; the expansion will bring services under one roof for families from pregnancy to 19, or 25 for SEND. (warrington.gov.uk)

On Thursday 26 March 2026, the government published its first national screen‑time guidance for under‑5s. Parents can read it on the Best Start in Life website, with in‑person advice set to be offered through Best Start Family Hubs from April 2026. (gov.uk)

The advice is plain‑English and practical. For babies and toddlers under two, ministers recommend avoiding screen use other than shared moments like video‑calling grandparents. For ages two to five, aim for about an hour a day, avoid screens at mealtimes and in the hour before bed, and switch off background TV. Choose slow‑paced, age‑appropriate content; steer clear of fast‑cut, social‑media‑style videos and AI toys or chatbots. Co‑viewing and talking about what’s on screen beats solo watching, and bedrooms should be screen‑free. The guidance makes clear that assistive technology for children with SEND is different and shouldn’t be treated with blanket limits. (beststartinlife.gov.uk)

Ministers say the step follows weeks of conversations with more than a thousand parents and a growing frustration about conflicting online advice. Government figures cite a quarter of parents of three‑ to five‑year‑olds struggling to manage screen time, and 98% of two‑year‑olds using screens daily. An expert panel led by Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza and paediatrician Professor Russell Viner underpins the guidance, stressing that long solo sessions can crowd out sleep, play and face‑to‑face time-but that shared viewing is linked to better outcomes. (gov.uk)

The move lands alongside a national consultation on children’s digital wellbeing. Options on the table include a legal minimum age for social media, lifting the UK’s digital age of consent from 13, and overnight curfews for certain age groups, plus restrictions on youth access to AI chatbots. The government acknowledges the evidence on older children is mixed, and has commissioned a Bradford secondary‑school trial on limiting screen time from spring and summer 2026, with results due in 2027. (gov.uk)

For northern families, the hinge is how this advice reaches people. The Department for Education says more than £500m will back a Family Hub in every local authority by April 2026, with up to 1,000 hubs by 2028. A new digital platform will sit alongside walk‑in support, linking parents to their local hub and the NHS App. (gov.uk)

Local snapshots show why a face‑to‑face option matters. North East Lincolnshire reports seven family hubs, 775 new registrations moving from Q3 into Q4, 1,428 sessions run and 8,326 attendances-everything from Baby Rhyme Time to infant‑feeding support-as the network rebrands to Best Start Family Hubs with funding confirmed through to 2029. (nelincs.gov.uk)

Reading remains the simplest screen‑free swap. Newcastle’s Dolly Parton Imagination Library pilot gives families a free book every month for babies born between 1 May 2025 and 30 April 2026. “In Newcastle we want to give every baby the best start in life,” said council leader Karen Kilgour, calling daily reading “a powerful part of their development.” The Dollywood Foundation UK says it is partnering with Best Start Family Hubs in parts of the country; the government notes the scheme’s support for the guidance. (new.newcastle.gov.uk)

School readiness pressures are already showing up in classrooms. Kindred²’s latest national survey of teachers and parents suggests 37% of children starting Reception in 2025 weren’t school‑ready, with staff in the North East reporting 36% not toilet‑trained at entry. Government briefings also highlight Kindred²’s separate finding that many Reception‑age pupils struggle to use physical books properly-some even try to ‘swipe’ pages-linking early device habits to later challenges. (kindredsquared.org.uk)

Parents told us they don’t want judgement; they want ideas that fit real life. That’s exactly where hubs can help this spring: co‑view and chat about what’s on screen, keep meals and bedrooms device‑free, and swap late‑evening shows for a story. If you’re unsure, the Best Start site has step‑by‑step tips and links to parental controls-and hub staff can talk it through in person. (beststartinlife.gov.uk)

Whitehall says this won’t be a one‑off. A written statement on 2 March confirmed amendments to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill to let ministers act quickly on the consultation’s outcomes, rather than wait years for new primary legislation. Expect more decisions over the summer after this national conversation closes. (questions-statements.parliament.uk)

What matters now is making the advice usable on a Tuesday night in Rotherham or a Sunday morning in Carlisle. With Family Hubs scaling from April, the promise is simple: clear guidance online, and a human being locally who can help you put it into practice. Published 26 March 2026. (gov.uk)