20 July 2007
Sure Start children's centres came under fire again this week after senior MPs criticised them for not doing enough to help the most disadvantaged families.
The influential Public Accounts Committee said only a third of the multi-purpose centres were proactively targeting the most deprived families in their communities.
PAC chair Edward Leigh said: 'Getting services out into the community to address disadvantage must be central to the ethos and practice of every children's centre. Unless all centres identify and support children living in the most deprived circumstances in their community, they will fail in their main purpose.'
The PAC's July 17 report follows a government-commissioned study, published last week, which found that Sure Start centres were failing to reach the most deprived ethnic minority families. The report's authors claimed the programme was a wasted opportunity.
Last year, councils took over the managing of Sure Start centres and have a target to raise the number to 3,500 by 2010. But the PAC warned that meeting this target may be hindered by a lack of capacity. Although 2,000 people are being trained as early years professionals and a further 800 as Sure Start centre leaders this might not be sufficient to support the roll-out of the programme, the MPs said.
There were also concerns about financial management — the committee found a lack of consistency on the sums spent on core services.
The PAC urged commitment from all partners; effective management to build services families want to use; and focus so that services reach the most disadvantaged.
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