Hull’s Family Hubs successfully passed Stage One of the UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative accreditation, on the first attempt.
The Baby Friendly Initiative is a global programme transforming healthcare for babies, their mothers and families as part of a wider global partnership between UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO).
Since 1994, the Baby Friendly Initiative has been working to transform healthcare for babies, their mothers, parents, primary caregivers and families in the UK. The initiative works by setting evidence-based standards to help services support parents with infant feeding and building close, loving relationship.
Stage One of the accreditation process requires facilities to create foundational documents and plans that meet Baby Friendly Initiative standards.
The achievement comes after Hull Family Hubs were awarded a Certificate of Commitment from UNICEF in July, which was the first step towards gaining recognition from the UK Committee for UNICEF’s Baby Friendly Initiative.
Councillor Linda Tock, the portfolio holder for Children’s Services at Hull City Council, said: “Achieving Stage One of the UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative proves our continuing dedication to increasing breastfeeding rates and the improvement of care for all mothers at Hull Family Hubs.
“That we were able to pass first time – hot on the heels of gaining a Certificate of Commitment in July – is a testament to the hard work of all involved.
“With an infant feeding policy in place, and guidelines supporting UNICEF baby standards, everyone at Hull’s Family Hubs will build on this to prepare for passing Stage Two, which we aim to achieve by Spring 2026.”
UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative Deputy Programme Director Anne Woods, said: “We are delighted to see the progress made in a short space of time. Having strong foundations in place will enable the Family Hubs staff to receive high-quality education, so families can be assured of effective support.
“We note the excellent range of services provided and strong ethos of collaborative working across all agencies, all of which will ultimately ensure that families in Hull receive the support they need to feed and care for their babies in the best possible way and to optimise health and wellbeing outcomes.”
Find out more about Hull’s Family Hubs at www.familyhubshull.org.uk.
