The All Party Parliamentary Group for Sure Start calls for health visitors, midwives and children’s centres to be based together ‘under one roof’, for families before and after birth, or where this is not possible for there to be a single service.
The report, published today following a year-long inquiry into the future of children’s centres, says that failure to unite these services is damaging support for local families and putting children’s centres at risk of closure.
Pooling budgets would also improve the service for parents, particularly early intervention, the MPs say.
Best practice for a Sure Start: The way forward for children’s centres makes a range of recommendations, including that children’s centres must continue to play a crucial role in childcare, either through direct provision or by working with local providers, actively supporting childminders to achieve high quality provision and acting as hubs for childcare information for parents.
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