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1,000 children’s 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’s 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 ‘children’s centre’, 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’s centres has also decreased. More children’s 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’s centre programme, as initially promised in July 2015. It has also suggested that the government refocuses children’s 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: “Good quality early years provision makes a substantial difference in the development of children especially those who come from the poorest homes.

 

“It 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.

 

“The Government should complete its long-promised review of the programme. Instead of trying to serve all age groups, children’s centres should reconnect with their original purpose of promoting child and family development for the 0-5 age group.â€�

 

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

 

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