Sure Start Children’s Centres Underachieving Targets Set By Government
Over the last decade the government set up a programme called Sure Start Children’s centres aimed at reaching disadvantaged families but a recent government watchdog has found that this target is still being missed and the centres are struggling to help where it’s needed most. Ministers have agreed to spend a extra £79m a year on hiring outreach workers as a fewer than a third of centres provided a one stop range of services for preschool children and their families. The centres which have benefited from the funding also lacked general management as basic data on expenditure and work couldn’t be provided – clearly highlighting a case of improving cost effectiveness being needed.
