More than eight in 10 local authorities have closed children’s centres
By Rachel Lawler
More than eight in 10 local authorities saw a fall in the number of children’s centres between 2010 and 2019, according to analysed by the Alliance.
The figures were published by children and families minister Michelle Donelan in response to a from shadow education secretary Angela Rayner.
Alliance analysis
The Alliance’s analysis shows that more than a third of local authorities have seen the number of children’s centres in their area cut by more than 50%. Only two local authorities saw any increase.
The five worse affected areas in terms of the number of net children’s centre losses are:
|
Local authority |
Children’s centres in 2010 |
Children’s centres in 2019 |
Total reduction |
Percentage reduction |
|
Essex |
85 |
19 |
66 |
78% |
|
Staffordshire |
54 |
8 |
46 |
85% |
|
Birmingham |
75 |
34 |
41 |
55% |
|
Oxfordshire |
45 |
8 |
37 |
82% |
|
Derbyshire |
54 |
21 |
33 |
61% |
The six worst affected areas in terms of percentage of net children’s centres losses are:
|
Local authority |
Children’s centres in 2010 |
Children’s centres in 2019 |
Total reduction |
Percentage reduction |
|
Gateshead |
15 |
1 |
14 |
93% |
|
Harrow |
16 |
2 |
14 |
88% |
|
Trafford |
16 |
2 |
14 |
88% |
|
Staffordshire |
54 |
8 |
46 |
85% |
|
Luton |
23 |
4 |
19 |
83% |
|
St Helens |
12 |
2 |
10 |
83% |
Neglected policy
The Alliance has called on the government to “get its act together” in response to figures.
Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Alliance, said: “We know that children’s centres play a vital role in supporting children and families – and particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds – but, for all the government rhetoric about the importance of supporting social mobility, this is a policy area that has been completely neglected for years now.
“Given the total lack of clear strategic direction from government, alongside severe and sustained funding cuts, it is no surprise that many children centres have been forced to close their doors – and yet, it is still shocking to see the sheer scale of centre closures that some areas have endured over the last decade.
“It beggars belief that such a vital source of help and support for families has effectively been abandoned. The government needs to get its act together, commit to investing substantially into children’s centres, and ensure that all families have access to the early support services that they need.”
Risking success
Last year, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) warned that the government was risking the success of its Sure Start progreamme, after its analysis found that the children's centres had a “big positive effect on children’s health [and] reducing hospitalisations”. The IFS reported that spending on the Sure Start programmed peaked in 2010 at £1.8 billion a year, in current prices, but has since seen its budget cut by two-thirds.
Find out more
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