As Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak enter the final sprint of the leadership election, it’s still unclear what either will do to support the wellbeing of children and young people. We’ve heard a lot about tax cuts, a lot about the cost of living, and a lot about solar panels on farms – but much less about families.

I don’t mean childcare, either – as important as that is. I mean the kind of help that will address the crippling rise in anxiety and ever rising pressure on child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS). Or the developmental milestones that have been missed after two years of lockdowns and the link to increased inequality that has the potential to last a lifetime. Families are struggling, yet we’ve heard almost nothing about the solutions. So what could the candidates to be our next prime minister have talked about instead?

Well, they could have started with the things they can be proud of. The transformational potential of £500m of funding for family and early years services; the establishment of the Early Years Healthy Development Review; and the announcement of funding for Family Hubs in 75 local authority areas. These are all optimistic signs that the Government has listened not just to the needs of families – but to the evidence. The fact that our earliest experiences determine so much of our later life chances has finally started to shape practical policymaking.

Yet this is only the start of the journey and ultimately, the vision we’ve heard from the candidates so far simply does not go far enough. For those of us working alongside families every single day, particularly those with under fives, we regularly hear how the pandemic has set their children back – whether that is socially, developmentally, or academically. And overwhelmingly, parents aren’t sure where to turn.

What will the next PM do to support the wellbeing of children and young people?

That’s why, building on the last couple of years of progress, the next Prime Minister must proceed full steam ahead with the manifesto commitment to Family Hubs. They should go one step further, too, and fund more areas to provide a ‘‘one stop shop’’ for family support.

The funding allocated to more than 80 local authorities around the country this May has given local leaders the ability to deliver a national standard of joined-up support, and devise programmes which cater to the specific needs of families living in their area.

The pandemic placed greater stress on the mental health of those living in the North than the rest of England. Primary school pupils in the North East received less consistent support than children in the South on their return to school, leading them to lag behind in core subjects. Family Hubs are one way to erase the postcode lottery that so often determines the life outcomes of children in England. While Family Hubs offer the exciting potential to bring together a range of family services under one roof, it’s the services themselves that must help shape positive early years experiences and support parents when they are struggling most. Whether that is support for infant feeding and birth registration, or evidence-based programmes to address difficulties in the parent-infant relationship, or benefit the home learning environment.

A programme like Triple P is well placed to offer multiple approaches to a range of family challenges, whether for common issues like bedtime struggles and fussy eating, or more complex concerns like identifying and supporting children with additional needs, managing anxiety or encouraging emotional regulation.

We want to make accessing parenting programmes as ‘‘normal’’ as going to an antenatal class.

We know that parenting programmes can ease mental health problems and treat behavioural challenges, but we have to engage parents early on. If we can help parents break down the stigma of seeking help in their child’s early years, they are more likely to reach out for help later on if it’s needed.

Removing stigma, however, starts with an open conversation, and an acknowledgement of the issues in hand. The next Prime Minister needs to make the wellbeing of children and young people an urgent priority.

We won’t tackle the 50 per cent increase in mental health difficulties among young people and the challenges around social, emotional and academic development if our future leaders are unable or unwilling to talk about it.

In the final hustings, I’d love to hear both candidates pledge to do what it takes to reverse the impact of lockdown, and instil a culture within government that prioritises the family and supports parents.

Matt Buttery is CEO of parenting programme Triple P UK

Why has there been so little focus on the wellbeing of children during the leadership debates - Matt Buttery