Nursery World - Sure Start Local Programmes study finds benefits for families

Children living in areas with Sure Start Local Programmes (SSLP) are less likely to be overweight and have better physical health than children in other areas, according to new research.

A study by the National Evaluation of Sure Start team at Birkbeck, University of London, compares the experiences of children growing up in the original Sure Start areas with those from areas without Sure Start services.

Mothers in SSLP areas also reported benefits, including a more stimulating home learning environment and greater life satisfaction.

However, the report found no difference in the Foundation Stage Profile scores between children in SSLP areas and other areas.

The report, The impact of Sure Start Local Programmes on five-year-olds and their families, followed 5,000 five-year-olds and their families in 150 programme areas, who initially took part in the research when they were nine months old and three years old, and compared them with children and families from the Millennium Cohort Study.

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