Action for Children, which runs more than 200 children’s centres, is urging centres to retain ‘open access services’, such as stay and play, particularly for expectant parents, babies and toddlers.
It says that faced with stretched resources centres are ‘increasingly scaling back’ services open to all families and activities for parents, in favour of programmes targeting higher need, disadvantaged families.
But the charity warns that that the move to targeted work is putting the ability of children’s centres to meet a range of families and identify problems early at risk.
The charity argues that offering open access sessions like stay and play where children from different social backgrounds can mix enhances children’s development.
Register now to continue reading
Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Unlimited access to news and opinion
-
Email newsletter providing activity ideas, best practice and breaking news
Already have an account? Sign in here
