Why every child deserves Portage, wherever they're born

with The National Portage Association

Contents

Portage is one of those Early Years interventions that quietly transforms lives, yet far too many families still don’t have access to it.

When I attended the National Portage Association’s Parliamentary reception earlier this month, it was striking how many MPs were surprised to learn just how patchy provision is, despite there being considerable evidence available demonstrating its impact.

After the event, I invited the association to write for SNJ, because Portage is not an abstract policy issue for me. When my own daughter (now 21 years old) was small, Portage was a lifeline. Her Portage worker helped us understand how to support her development through play, lent us toys and equipment so we didn’t have to buy everything, and offered steady signposting and reassurance at a time when we desperately needed it. I am eternally grateful for that support, and I know it positively shaped her future outcomes.

This guest article sets out clearly why portage matters, why children cannot wait, and why every family should have access to the kind of early help that makes a lasting difference.

Why Every Family Should Have Access to Portage. By the Board of Trustees, National Portage Association

When Samira’s two-year-old son stopped meeting his milestones, she expected someone would help. Instead, she was told to wait. Six months later, she was still waiting. ‘It felt like everyone agreed something was wrong,’ she told us, ‘but nobody could actually do anything.’ Unfortunately, Samira’s story is far from unique.

For too many families of babies and young children with developmental differences or disabilities, the early years become a waiting room. Referrals go nowhere, waiting lists grow longer, and parents are told their child does not yet meet the threshold for support. By the time help arrives, valuable opportunities for learning and development have already been lost. Portage was designed to be the opposite of that.

For almost 50 years, Portage has provided a home-visiting educational service for young children with SEND and their families. Trained practitioners work alongside parents in their own homes, building learning through everyday play and routines.

Portage starts with what a child can do, not what they cannot. It breaks development into small, achievable steps and helps parents see that bath time, mealtimes or playing on the living room floor can all become opportunities for learning. Rather than professionals “doing therapy” to a child, Portage equips parents with the knowledge, skills and confidence to support their child’s development every day. Families become active partners in their child’s progress, not passive recipients of services.

Families consistently tell us it works. In our 2023 survey of 981 families across England and Wales, 99.1% said Portage contributed to their child’s progress, 98% said it supported their own emotional wellbeing, and 90% would recommend it to another family.

Why the earliest years matter

The first five years of life are when children’s brains develop most rapidly, laying the foundations for communication, relationships, emotional wellbeing and future learning. Professor James Heckman’s internationally recognised research shows that investment in these early years delivers the greatest long-term return—for children, families and society. Just as importantly, the UK’s landmark Effective Pre-School, Primary and Secondary Education project (EPPSE) found that the quality of the home learning environment has a greater influence on children’s outcomes than family income or the type of pre-school they attend.

In other words, what parents do with their children every day matters enormously.

That is exactly where Portage makes the difference. Practitioners work alongside families, sharing practical strategies that fit naturally into daily routines and helping parents feel confident in supporting their child’s development long after each visit has ended. And it does this through play: because decades of research consistently show that young children learn best through play. Communication, thinking, emotional regulation, social skills and independence all develop most effectively when learning is enjoyable, meaningful and part of everyday life.

The evidence behind Portage

Research continues to demonstrate the impact of this approach.

A Norwegian study following premature babies over three years found that children receiving Portage made greater developmental progress, developed stronger language skills and had significantly higher receptive language by the age of three. Their parents also reported lower levels of anxiety. More recently, a 2024 study involving young autistic children found significant improvements after just three months of Portage. Parents experienced lower stress and greater understanding of their child’s needs, while children made progress in communication, social interaction, independence, cognition and motor development.

Emerging research into Portage and parental self-efficacy reinforces what families have always told us: when parents believe they can make a difference, they do.

One parent captured it perfectly: “You didn’t just help my child. You helped me believe I could help them too.”

That is the Portage effect. Families often feel less isolated, more confident and better equipped to support their child’s future.

A postcode lottery

Despite nearly 50 years of evidence, Portage is still unavailable to many families. Only around one in three local authorities currently commissions a Portage service. In the remaining areas, families often face referrals, thresholds and waiting lists, all while the most important window for early development continues to close. Every Portage service in England now has a waiting list, and around 1,820 fewer children receive Portage each year than they did a decade ago.

Yet delaying support saves nothing.

There is no budget line called “no Portage”. The cost simply appears later through increased EHCP assessments, tribunals, specialist placements and greater pressure on already stretched services. At around £2,400 per child each year, Portage is one of the most cost-effective investments local authorities can make. The most expensive intervention is rarely early intervention. It is delayed intervention.

Promoted

The opportunity

At our recent Parliamentary Reception, MPs from across the political spectrum met families, practitioners and trustees from the National Portage Association.

Many were surprised to discover that Portage is unavailable across much of England. They were equally surprised to learn that the specialist workforce government is seeking through SEND reform has already existed for almost 50 years.

The Schools White Paper promises earlier specialist support through Best Start Family Hubs and the new proposed Targeted Plus offer. Portage is already delivering exactly this kind of home-based, family-centred intervention. The challenge is not creating a new workforce. It is ensuring every family can access the one that already exists.

That is why the National Portage Association is calling for Portage to be included in plans to improve SEND, supported through nationally guaranteed entitlement, sustainable funding and minimum coverage standards. Alongside our new publication, Time To Deliver, we are also developing a practical commissioners’ toolkit to help local areas establish or expand Portage services.

Children cannot wait

Awareness remains one of our biggest challenges. If Portage has helped your family, tell your story. Please speak to your MP, your local councillors and your local authority. If your area does not have a Portage service, ask why—and ask what early home-based support is available instead.

Children do not wait for systems; their development is happening today. If every child deserves the best start in life, then every family should have access to Portage. That should never depend on their postcode.

Find out more at www.portage.org.uk, where you can also read our latest publication, Time To Deliver.

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About
Latest Posts

Sharon Smith

Co-Director at Special Needs Jungle Ltd

Sharon Smith is a co-director for Special Needs Jungle and is the mother of a young lady who has Down's syndrome. Sharon undertook doctoral research at the University of Birmingham, exploring inclusion with parents of disabled children. Following successful completion of her PhD in 2024, Sharon can now call herself Dr Smith, but rarely does. Her research interests include risk/vulnerability, belonging, co-production, inclusion and philosophy of education.