Surestart should be reistated for the good of the nation

No one has yet answered what the difference between a "Surestart" Children's Centre is and a (local authority run) Children's Centre is.
From what I can tell is the name "Surestart" was just dropped.
They seem to offer all the same services and facilities.

Surestart was closed at the same time that Gove overhauled the national curriculum.

I'd argue that the mental health crisis in teens is less to do with their access to children's centres or not as toddlers and more to do with being forced through an education system that is entirely at odds with the way that developing minds and bodies work.

The Tories have messed up childhood for children of all ages.

I would argue it’s something the country can’t afford not to do - removing early intervention and support has had huge costs long term - in all areas inc education, health, children’s social care and criminal justice

But if they can be provided in other ways why has research identified that children who lived in the proximity of a sure start centres have had better education (and health - I need to double check that) outcomes?

@Wavywoo where do you live? I am sure if you Google "Children's Centres" some will come up.
I just googled for the county (and town) where I am now (visiting my parents - not where I live). All the main towns have what is called "Children's and Family Centre's" run by the county council and then there are "Children's Centre's" which are a mix of council, charity funded and ones linked to a primary school. There's at least 4 in this medium size town I am in.

Will never happen whilst we have the every man for themselves Party in power.

Absolutely and there are plenty more good reasons why these centres would benefit people. But it’s just not something the country can afford and in comparison to other societal issues that need to be addressed more urgently, sure start centres are nowhere near a priority.

So much of what they did was great but not essential and the things that are essential can be provided in other ways.

I’m aware of what they provided.

Funny how you cut out the part I said I went to the courses as I had a disabled child.like The courses were crap.
They did one on sleep… pointing out things such as turn the tv off half hour before they go to bed. No shit Sherlock.

Not if it takes desperately needed money from a demographic that has nothing.

No they wouldn’t, mine weren’t and we are in exactly the same situation. It wasn’t even picked up by primary school . I’m not sure sure start workers with little autism expertise are the best people to pick it up. More money in autism diagnostics, support and mental health provision would be better.

We didn’t have one in my area. It was one of the professional areas that was last in the list. So we never got one.

If we had, maybe my daughters ASD would have been picked up. Instead of being diagnosed at 16, and now nearly 18? She has been out of education for a year due to burnout with little improvement.

This is also true of my area. Demarcating an area in terms of depravation needs to be done conclusively or not at all. I'm assuming that audits etc would have highlighted this problem of more affluent people coming into the area and using the services.Locally we had the more affluent simply adding it to their list of weekly activities, the remainder of which they would have paid for.Those who were in need were squeezed out. The organisers then said they couldn't get people from their target area to attend and moved their targets outwards.
There's a huge need for the service but it needs to be 100% targeted.

Families aren't struggling because they can't brush their children's teeth. Families are struggling and so they don't have the stability, resources, time, headspace to build a daily rhythm of teeth brushing. It's easy to go - "oh, come here, this is how you brush your teeth - job done, how hard was that?"

The sure starts built a battery of resources, tools, signposts and engineered a support network to help with the big stuff. And the small stuff would fall into line once you had been helped someone out of, say, a dv situation, or had signposted someone to access to available counseling for trauma, or had supported someone to build a routine of caring that they had never had or seen in their own childhood etc, etc.

Having a centre point that wasn't stigmatized as only for struggling parents made a space to be a part of the shared experience of parenting with some dignity for those who needed the most help but it also offered support for those who were doing fine but needed a shared community or a targeted nudge for help here and there. And for those who were thriving there was a place and opportunity to help others and volunteer. It was everything that dickfest Cameron talked about when he romanticized the big society while he systematically dismantled it from under our feet

They should bring them back. There's lots of data not just anecdotes to support them. I attended one with my first. I had plenty of money but my mental health was on the floor but I covered it well. DS was ASD but we didn't know it then. I found them to be a lifeline. I'm sure I'd have been put in the 'doesn't need to be here' category. Those centres are an investment in our societies future. Follow the data and fund them. They aren't needed for one generation. That's a fundamental misunderstanding of how they work. Each generation of new mums needs support often in invisible ways.

I know it’s still an issue and that some parents still need targeted support to achieve the basics, but I don’t think sure start centres are the way to do it. At a time when people can’t even get GP appointments, the country can’t afford to provide playgroups for those lucky enough to be SAHP’s.

Two year olds already get access to pre school education when there is a need and it would be more efficient to provide directed support about teeth brushing etc through HV’s.

This is so blinkered.

Investing in SureStart reduces the burden on everything and every young person.

Where can I get free childcare? And why can't the gov invest in early years and mental health? I feel mental health services for the age group 16-21 is ignored so they should be prioritised. The gov waste tax payers money in so many ways. My mum used Sure Start when I was a baby/toddler and said it was great.

Yanbu. I used the centres a lot when DD was a baby. The government push to get younger and younger kids and babies into childcare so both parents can work every hour god sends is what I have the issue with, though.

Groups I went to included Stay and Play, Music groups, Baby signing, Toddler cooking, messy play, Breastfeeding Cafes, Nutrition and weaning courses, baby weighing and general concerns clinics, baby massage and lots more. There were also home visits, support for parents with additional needs, support for children with additional needs, groups for young mums under 25, groups for dads, counselling, support for those who have experienced DV and all sorts. Being in the one building meant that women become familiar with it through baby weighing and then were more likely to try other activities. It was just as much for supporting the child's development as supporting the parents.

I think the main goal was to increase parental involvement with professionals, offer support to those that need it, keep an eye out for possible safeguarding and DV in an age group not yet at school, pick up possible SEN earlier ( although when I mentioned DD was reading at around 3 the play worker definitely rolled her eyes, and put me under the category of 'that' parent, turns out DD is autistic and very gifted).

Sure starts were fantastic and are an essential service for the community. There is a wedge of research that shows the benefits of early intervention and early years input.

“free” childcare- don’t make me laugh. The scheme is eviscerating the EY sector with nurseries closing left right and centre. Staff are massively underpaid and undervalued.