Children's centres are also to have a greater role in running morehealth programmes to help reduce obesity and smoking.
The national officer for health at the Unite union said, 'This strategyfor children is long on aspirations and thin on detail, at a time when,according to the NHS's own workforce statistics, a full-time healthvisitor post is lost every 27 hours.'
But the Family and Parenting Institute, which has been campaigning for auniversal health visiting service, said the plan to increase the numberof health visitors would help put an end to a postcode lottery.
Honor Rhodes, director of development at the FPI, said, 'It is totallyunacceptable for one parent to receive more support in the early yearsof their child's life than another, just because of where they live. Weare delighted the Government has recognised the important role they playin helping parents.'
The strategy, produced jointly by the Department for Children, Schoolsand Families and the Department of Health, sets out what children andfamilies can expect from health services from birth to 19, but has aparticular focus on the early years.
It includes 340m to support children with disabilities and theirfamilies.
Family Nurse Partnerships will be expanded from 30 to 70 areas by 2011,providing intensive support for vulnerable first-time mothers beforetheir child is two. A new antenatal and preparation for parenthoodprogramme will also be developed.
Further information
'Healthy lives, brighter futures - The strategy for children and youngpeople's health' is at www.doh.gov.uk
Free school meals will also be piloted, including in some areas makingthem available to all primary pupils, with a view to looking at thehealth and educational benefits of extending them to more pupils.
