Member News
By Baroness Massey of Darwen - 28th February 2010
Baroness Massey of Darwen writes for ePolitix ahead of her question on Sure Start programmes.
Sure Start is a government flagship programme designed to support families on low incomes through children's centres in (as of October 2009) 3,151 locations. The target is at least 3,500 children's centres by March 2010.
The National Evaluation of Sure Start reported in March 2008 that a number of positive impacts for children had been found. Parents of three year-olds provided their children with a better home learning environment. Three year-olds appeared to have better social skills, and families living in Sure Start areas used more child- and family-related services than those living elsewhere.
In February 2009, the department of Schools and Families published a survey of Sure Start children's centres. This found high levels of satisfaction with children's centres by the users. It also found that those using centres closely matched the local community.
Whilst there has been some concern about Sure Start not reaching the most deprived families, there was evidence, in July 2009, to the House of Commons committee on children, schools and families, that this is being addressed.
The Daycare Trust pointed out that we are only just beginning to see the impact of the coordinated approach used by children's centres. They also offered the opinion that staff in children's centres were often better qualified than in other provision and that, over time, substantial coast savings could be made through early intervention.
Dods Parliamentary Communications Ltd