Nursery World - At least 1,000 children's centres have closed, claims report warning of 'tipping point'

A major report by the Sutton Trust claims that 1,000 Sure Start children’s centres have closed since 2009 - twice as many as Government figures show.

The research, Stop Start, examining the state of Sure Start Children's Centres in 2018 was carried out by leading academics from Oxford University, led by Professor Kathy Sylva. It warns that the survival of the children’s centres programme is now at ‘a tipping point’ with more local authorities preparing to make drastic cuts this year.

The report’s lead author Professor Kathy Sylva from Oxford University told Nursery World, ‘Our survey carried out last summer found that many children’s centres which continue to appear on the Government list have greatly reduced staff and opening hours, in other words, they have been “hollowed out” and now focus on targeted work with vulnerable families.

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