New integrated health and education reviews for children announced

The government has pledged to provide 2.2 million pounds in funding to support joined-up checks on education and health development under new childcare reforms.

This new integrated review approach brings together separate assessments currently organised by the Department for Education and the Department of Health to provide parents with updates on their child's progress at the age of two.

By combining health and early years reviews, parents will get a more complete picture of their child's growth. The process will be implemented nationally from September and will be available to children between 24 and 30 months old.

Reviews are also set to be made available for two-year-olds not in early education settings for the first time, thanks to pilots exploring how they can be offered to all children across the country.

Health minister Dr Dan Poulter said: "Integrated reviews and the huge increase in health visitors will lead to better outcomes for children and families."

The joined-up approach was trialled for two years in ten local authorities, with the integrated assessments receiving strongly positive feedback from parents.