KATE OSBORNE: Every child, no matter their background, must be given the chance to thrive

Children are heading back to school, uniforms are laid out, and parents are trying to get everyone back into a routine after the long summer holidays.

For many, it’s a time of excitement - but also of financial worries, as families work hard to make sure children have what they need while balancing stretched household budgets.

This year, families across the Jarrow and Gateshead East constituency will begin the school year with something different – the biggest expansion of childcare and family support in a generation.

Labour’s roll-out of 30 hours free childcare will ease the burden on parents and ensure children get the very best start.

The neglect of our communities and cuts to education from the previous government meant parents were unable to return to work, some were forced to cut their working hours or leave work altogether because extortionate childcare costs meant work simply didn’t financially add up. That has been unfair on families, has a huge impact on individuals mental health and has held back our local economy.

Jarrow and Gateshead East was one of the first areas to benefit from Labour’s early years childcare expansion.

Three new school-based nurseries will be opening shortly at Dunn Street Primary, West Boldon Primary, and Bill Quay Primary, as part of a national rollout across 300 schools, creating up to 6,000 new childcare places, with most ready by September.

Alongside this, Labour is introducing free breakfast clubs in every primary school. These new breakfast clubs will mean every child starts the day with a full stomach, ready to learn, while giving parents peace of mind that their children are being cared for.

Labour are also tackling the huge cost of school uniforms. Parents have told me again and again about the stress of having to buy expensive branded items that quickly wear out or get lost.

Labour’s new rules will stop schools being able to insist on multiple items of branded uniforms. From September 2026, schools will only be permitted to require three branded items, making uniforms more affordable and allowing families to buy items from shops of their choosing instead of costly branded suppliers.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has been clear that schools should act now to reduce costs before the new rules take effect - because no family should be pushed into hardship by the cost of a blazer.

I know that for some next year will be too late, and I want to urge anyone who is struggling to get in touch with my office.

There is help out there, and I know our foodbanks, clothes banks and other volunteer led organisations have proved a lifeline for families that need help with uniforms and help over the school holidays.

Bede’s Helping Hands, Hebburn Helps, Gateshead Food Bank and the Felling Food Network – all do so much for our communities - yet foodbanks shouldn't be needed and that's why our investment in Education and the North East is vital.

We must now take the next steps to invest even more in our kids futures, expanding free school meals so that more children can enjoy a healthy lunch at school. For many, this is the most substantial meal of the day - and making it universally available is a practical way to tackle child hunger.

This matters enormously here, where child poverty rates remain far too high.

All of this means families can finally feel the difference of having a government on their side. A government that understands the pressures parents face and is delivering policies that put children first, while also easing some of the financial strain at home.

No Government is perfect but last year Labour inherited the worst public finances in living memory, and tackling child poverty remains a top priority.

A key next step is removing the two-child limit on benefits, I’ve always opposed the two-child limit. It is a cruel and punitive policy introduced by the Conservatives that has driven hundreds of thousands of children into poverty, including many in our region. I have raised this direct with Government Ministers and it is something I will continue to push.

There is more to do. Families are under real pressure from rising rents, energy bills, and the cost of living. But the changes being rolled out this September are proof that things can and will be different. By investing in childcare, nutrition, family support and education, Labour is putting the next generation first.

When Labour was last in government from 1997 to 2010 we lifted over a million children out of poverty.

That progress was undone under the Tories.

Now we are turning the tide again, because, every child, no matter their background, must be given the chance to thrive.

If you need advice please email [email protected]