Children's centres

Children's centres provide good quality integrated services to children under five and their families, in order to give every child the best possible start in life, and have a broad and lasting impact on children, their parents and the wider community.

The Sure Start Children's centres programme is based on the concept that providing high-quality integrated services (health, education, family support and care), particularly in disadvantaged area, leads to positive effects for children, families and their communities, including:

• Improved educational outcomes for children and parents
• Enabling parents to study and work
• Helping lone parents to access work and training opportunities
• Improved health outcomes
• A reduction in child poverty

Children's centres are part of the wider Sure Start programme, which encompasses targeted services in disadvantaged areas, and universal services for all children aged 0 to 16.

Children's Centres are at the heart of the Government's Every Child Matters: Change for Children Programme|. By 2010 there will 3,500 Children's Centres – delivering services for every community. Sure Start Children's centres are a vital part of the Government's Ten Year Childcare Strategy to enable all families with children to have access to an affordable, flexible, high quality childcare place for their child.