Little Starz Children's Centre in West Norwood, London, was one stop ona tour by Mr Balls, children's minister Beverley Hughes and eight otherministers that took in children's centres in London, Manchester,Yorkshire, Hertfordshire, Devon, Dorset, Kent, the West Midlands and thenorth-west.
Mr Balls said, 'Sure Start centres are for everyone - whatever theirincome, whatever their background and whatever their needs or those oftheir children.
'They are one of the genuine universal services of this country, likestate schools and the NHS, which are accessible and aimed at allfamilies. We want parents to talk about "my children's centre" much inthe same way thatthey talk about "my doctor" or my school".'
The Government's target is to open 3,500 Sure Start children's centresby March 2010.
