News
Sure Start continues to stay in the news
7 Sep 2010
Since the Government’s announcement that Sure Start would return to its “original purpose” it has remained in the news as more information has come out as to what that means. The reactions from the sector have not been positive, with Nursery World highlighting that asking Local Authorities to cut budgets while seeking to outsource Sure Start centres' maintenance to charities and independent organisations could cause things to fall flat and result in disappearing charities (Nursery World, 12 August 2010).
In the first "PM direct" meeting held in Manchester on 10 August 2010, David Cameron reiterated his position that Sure Start needs to be focused on the neediest families and that the "sharp elbowed" middle class needs to be kept out. But the reaction in the sector to this has been generally negative with Nursery World pointing out that studies have shown children from disadvantaged backgrounds do better when in mixed centres with children of different social backgrounds (19 August 2010). Children and Young People Now has also published an article highlighting concern in the sector that limiting services would stigmatise them and create logistical problems in both reaching the disadvantaged and defining who the disadvantaged are (24-30 August 2010).
Sir Paul Stephenson, Head of the Metropolitan Police, has even joined the debated on early years provision as he declared in an interview with ITV that high-quality childcare was just as important as police work in the fight against crime.
The debate surrounding Sure Start will continue. The Spending Review, due to be published on 20 October 2010, may shed some light on the future of it.
