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By Rachel Lawler

 

Families rely on early years services to help them learn parenting skills and strengthen ties to their local community, according to a from the Family and Childcare Trust.

 

Feedback from  nearly 500 parents about early years services found that the most valued services were those that allowed them to take part in activities with their children 鈥� such as stay and play groups.

 

Many of the parents asked raised concerns about early years services, with problems including a shortage of services for older children and a lack of information about what was available. Parents often said that they had not used a local service because they didn鈥檛 know that it was available, with some reporting that information online was not always up-to-date.

 

Access to good quality services was another problem raised, with parents reporting waiting lists for some services and others only available at specific times or locations. Some parents also mentioned needing some services more often in the winter when outdoor play is less accessible.

 

Ellen Broom茅, chief executive at the Family and Childcare Trust, said: 鈥淭he government urgently needs a strategy for family services in the early years that supports parents and their children to thrive and strengthen communities.鈥�

 

The Trust has recommended that the government invest adequate funding in early years services. It has also suggested that clear and comprehensive information is needed to ensure that families know about what is on offer, with particular efforts made to engage local communities.

 

Neil Leitch, chief executive at the Alliance, said: 鈥淲e share the concerns raised by the Family and Childcare Trust on the ongoing reduction in family support and early help services. We know that children鈥檚 centres provide a vital service to both children and parents, and particularly those families from more disadvantaged backgrounds 鈥� and yet, over recent years, we鈥檝e seen a continued decline in the number of children鈥檚 centres as a direct result of funding cuts.鈥�

 

Neil added: 鈥淚f the government is serious about improving social mobility, it simply must invest what鈥檚 needed 鈥� otherwise it is those children and families that most need support who will pay the price.鈥�