Education & Young People Health & Wellbeing 2026
Home-Start Cymru

Impact Report 2025/2026

Home-Start Cymru is a volunteer-led family support charity working across Wales, offering early, relational support to families with young children who are experiencing difficulties. In 2025/26 the charity supported 1,153 families and 2,220 children across 19 local authority areas. 84% of families reported improved parental mental health and 75% reduced loneliness and isolation. The charity's trained volunteers spend around two hours a week with families, providing a trusted, non-judgmental presence during some of the most challenging periods of family life. Around half of families supported were experiencing parental mental health difficulties, nearly 40% were lone parents and over a third had children with neurodevelopmental needs. Total income was £1,629,699 with 90.5% of expenditure invested directly in frontline delivery. Free reserves stood at £381k, slightly above the three-month operating cost threshold set in reserves policy.

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Report snapshot
1,153 families and 2,220 children supported across Wales in 2025/26; operating in 19 local authority areas with partner Home-Starts in Ceredigion, Wrexham and Flintshire Key Metric 1
84% of families reported improved parental mental health; 84% improved ability to cope with physical health; 75% reduced parental loneliness and isolation; 87% improved family relationships and resilience Key Metric 2
Total income £1,629,699 against expenditure of £1,581,445 — surplus of £48,253; 90.5% of expenditure invested directly in service delivery and workforce; free reserves £381k at December 2025 Key Metric 3
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📋About

Volunteer-led home visiting (trained volunteers spending around 2 hours per week with families); family support planning (asset-based whole-family assessments); group and community-based support; Flying Start and Families First programme delivery; Children and Communities Grant services; partnerships with health visitors, GPs, midwives, schools and Local Authorities; Gwent pilot project; refugee and asylum-seeker family support; postnatal depression and mental health support

📊Key Metrics

1,153 families and 2,220 children supported across Wales in 2025/26; operating in 19 local authority areas with partner Home-Starts in Ceredigion, Wrexham and Flintshire Key Metric 1
84% of families reported improved parental mental health; 84% improved ability to cope with physical health; 75% reduced parental loneliness and isolation; 87% improved family relationships and resilience Key Metric 2
Total income £1,629,699 against expenditure of £1,581,445 — surplus of £48,253; 90.5% of expenditure invested directly in service delivery and workforce; free reserves £381k at December 2025 Key Metric 3

✅Key Outcomes

  • 76% of parents reported increased confidence in managing household budget; 83% felt more connected to community networks; 72% improved confidence managing household budget; 87% improved ability to cope with day-to-day challenges — all self-reported improvement scores
  • 85% of children showed improved mental health and 88% improved ability to cope with physical health (Gwent pilot project outcomes); 67% improved school readiness; 50% improved speech and language
  • Around half of families supported experienced parental mental health difficulties; nearly 40% were lone parents; more than a third had children with neurodevelopmental needs; nearly a quarter faced debt or financial hardship — demonstrating the complexity and depth of need Home-Start Cymru addresses

📍Geography

Wales

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