Alan Johnson MP

4 September 2009

 

Sure Start Children’s Centres are ‘one stop shops’ for parents with children under five – providing services including childcare, healthcare, parenting advice, family support and opportunities to get back into work or training

 

Most services, except childcare, are free and even then, families on a low income can often claim tax credits that help them meet this cost

 

Most Sure Start Children’s Centres are open from 8am until 6pm, all year round, and some offer services in the evenings or at weekends

 

There are over 3,000 Sure Start Children’s Centres across England which provide support to almost 2.4 million children under five and their families

 

Sure Start Children’s Centres offer high quality services that are open to everyone in the community whatever their background or circumstances

 

The Government’s vision is that every child or young person should have the opportunity to fulfil their potential, and the Sure Start Children’s Centres programme is at the forefront of this vision

 

By March 2010 there will be 3,500 Sure Start Children’s Centres – one for every community in England

 

Research shows that 92% of parents are satisfied with the services on offer at Sure Start Children’s Centres

 

Independent research by Birkbeck College, University of London, found that parents of three-year-olds who live in Sure Start Local Programme areas have more positive parenting skills, while their young children showed better social development, behaviour and independence

 

The Government has committed over £7 billion to the Sure Start Children’s Centres programme since 1999. Current funding tops £1 billion a year.

To find out more - visit http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/everychildmatters/earlyyears/surestart/whatsurestartdoes/