Nursery World - Sure Start 'might not stay viable'

The long-term viability of the Government's Sure Start initiative has been questioned by a Labour MP. Shaun Woodward said last week that in his constituency of St Helens in Merseyside, people were 'quite worried about the long-term existence and service level of Sure Start'. He added, 'You don't hear that in Westminster, but you do in the "real world". That's a big problem.'

Shaun Woodward said last week that in his constituency of St Helens in Merseyside, people were 'quite worried about the long-term existence and service level of Sure Start'. He added, 'You don't hear that in Westminster, but you do in the "real world". That's a big problem.'

Mr Woodward was speaking at the House of Commons during a seminar called 'Access to Education - Levelling the Playing Field', which focused on pre-school and primary education. MPs and key childcare representatives met to discuss how to ensure all children had equal access to education.

Vidhya Alakeson, a research fellow at the Social Market Foundation who is leading a major study on life chances and early years, said, 'At a seminar last week we heard from women for whom childcare was getting worse and they had decided not to go back to work as a result. Places were closing.'

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