Literacy news
Managers fear precarious future for children's centres funding
28 May 2009
The poll, taken at last week's CYP Now conference on children's centres, found 52% were "very concerned" about funding for centres.
A quarter of the votes, who included children's centre managers and directors of children's services, felt the centres were deemed a low priority in their local authority, while 30% said their centres relied solely on Sure Start funding.
Deborah Absalom, chair of the conference and Director of Children's Services for Bexley, said: "There are significant challenges in getting children's centres up local authorities' priority lists, because they will have to show evidence of outcomes."
Professor Edward Melhuish, who leads the National Evaluation of Sure Start, told CYP Now it could be "several years" before we see robust, long-term outcomes from children's centres. He believes the Government must have faith before it passes judgment.
Another concern raised was finding suitable sites for the third and final phase of the children's centre rollout programme, particularly in affluent rural areas surrounded by pockets of deprivation.
Alan Dinning, Deputy Director of Children's Services in Hertfordshire, said: “it is difficult to create places that appeal to the community but don't alienate the families most in need of services.”
(Children & Young People Now, 28 May 2009)
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