Nursery World - Early years disability centre put on

Disability experts have voiced concern over the Government's decision to defer funding on a proposed flagship early intervention centre for disabled children. Mencap's feasibility study on the National Centre for Early Excellence, which was commissioned by the DfES and presented to ministers in March 2005, was released to the public last week following pressure from the sector and a Freedom of Information request.

Mencap's feasibility study on the National Centre for Early Excellence, which was commissioned by the DfES and presented to ministers in March 2005, was released to the public last week following pressure from the sector and a Freedom of Information request.

The centre, which would work with local authorities to develop services for disabled children from nought to five, was expected to be under development in this financial year.

But the DfES issued a statement last week warning that the financial implications of agreeing to fund a national centre for some years are 'significant'.

The report recommended that the Government supports the strategic development of the centre with funding from 2005 to 2010. The costs involved in running it have been estimated at between 5.2m and 5.8m.

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