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1,000 children鈥檚 centres have closed since 2009 and many more have reduced the number of services on offer, according to a new from the Sutton Trust.

 

Stop Start: Survival, decline or closure? examines the services offered by Sure Start children鈥檚 centres. It found that in 2009 there were 3,632 centres with 54% located in the most disadvantaged areas. By 2017, the number of centres had dropped by 14%.

 

There is no clear definition of a 鈥榗hildren鈥檚 centre鈥�, which makes it difficult to measure the precise drop in numbers, but the Sutton Trust says that the number of registered centres has dropped by 30%, which suggests that more than 1,000 in total may have closed.

 

The number of services offered at children鈥檚 centres has also decreased. More children鈥檚 centres were found to be operating on a part-time basis than in previous years. The report says that almost a fifth of local authorities said that none of their centres were open full-time and 55% said that the number of services offered at the centres has reduced.

 

When asked why they had cut back on the services offered at children's centres, 84% of local authorities blamed financial pressures.

 

The Sutton Trust has recommended that the government conducts a review of the children鈥檚 centre programme, as initially promised in July 2015. It has also suggested that the government refocuses children鈥檚 centres on promoting positive child and family development for children under five.

 

Sir Peter Lampl, founder of the Sutton Trust and chairman of the Education Endowment Foundation, said: 鈥淕ood quality early years provision makes a substantial difference in the development of children especially those who come from the poorest homes.

 

鈥淚t is a serious issue that the services that Sure Start centres offer are much more thinly spread than they were a decade ago.  Additionally, since 2010 there has been a precipitous decline of 30% in the number of Sure Start centres. Thousands of families are missing out on the vital support they provide.

 

鈥淭he Government should complete its long-promised review of the programme. Instead of trying to serve all age groups, children鈥檚 centres should reconnect with their original purpose of promoting child and family development for the 0-5 age group.鈥�

 

Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Alliance, said: 鈥淥ver the past few years, sustained cuts to children's centre funding have resulted not only in widespread closures, but also 鈥� as this report rightly points out 鈥� the hollowing out of many of those services that remain technically open. Add to this the fact that children鈥檚 centre inspections have been 鈥榦n pause鈥� for nearly three years now, awaiting a consultation that shows no sign of ever being published, and it鈥檚 difficult to have any faith that the government does, in fact, have a plan for the future of these centres.

 

鈥淚f the government is truly committed to supporting disadvantaged and vulnerable families, it simply must ensure that children鈥檚 centre services are adequately supported. This means not only greater investment, but also a much clearer policy on what children鈥檚 centres are meant to achieve, and how the government intends to support them to do so.鈥�