Surestart should be reistated for the good of the nation

[Wavywoo]

The report out today that shows the longterm benefits of the Surestart programme confirms what supporters of the scheme said all along.

The government have grossly mismanaged public resource, and done children and families a massive diservice, in defunding Surestart, and yet claiming to have spent several times more on Early Years.

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

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.

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.

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

@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.

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?

I disagree, O think it should be free at need for anyone, like the NHS.

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

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.

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.

Where are all these children centres? The surestart centres here were reconfigured into something entirely other to being anything useable by parents and children here.

@Desecratedcoconut I typed into Google "Children's Centres in Lambeth" (my borough) and the Lambeth website lists 18 of them.
(branded as "Better Start" Children's Centres - that name seems to be new).
That's just the local authority funded ones - there are private/charity run ones too.

Oh well, if you are well served in London then everyone elsewhere must be greatly exaggerating.

I don't know why affluent parents accessing the service is and was viewed as being necessarily a bad thing. There is more support from all sectors of society for services which are universally available. If the more well off parents were crowding out or intimidating those with greater need, then that could have been (and was in many cases) addressed in many ways. Invitation-only groups for instance.

Having services available regardless of background/income has a number of advantages, including reducing the stigma in accessing services, promoting parenting as being a collective endeavour and raising awareness amongst those who might otherwise be oblivious of deprivation and social issues, making them more likely to recognise and support the provision and funding of services going forward.

It varies from borough to borough. Wandsworth, for example, was great when we lived them but some other boroughs are woeful in terms of what they offer families and children.

@Desecratedcoconut as I said upthread there are 4 in the medium size town where I am right now (visiting family).
1 seems to be local authority run (under a name of "Children's and Family Centre". The other 3 are private/charity funded.
Some local authority services (such as Health Visitor sessions) take place in the private centres though.
Oxfordshire in case you are interested.

There's one about three miles from me, it's only available to people on benefits and for whom their children would be eligible for free school meals - isn't that an income of £6k? What do the ones around you look like?

That is not what the sure start centres were like at their peak, when my ds1 was born, in 2007. It was a service which was available and useful to everyone. It was for children. Not just children who meet a strict criteria. And that universal accessibility was the reason why it was successful, for all the reasons stated in this thread.

This thread really shows what is happening to this country.
*People believe the government can't afford this anymore and just accept that despite the fact that the government can fund lots of other much less important things.
*People are arguing over who deserves funding more young people or early years. People only seeing things from their perspective..I didn't need these/ our area has plenty.
There is no doubt that lots of people need help and support with parenting..surely we should work to an ideal that every community has a hub that could provide support for all children and families.. if properly funded this could change sooo much and save so much in the longer term.
We really need think bigger and get out of this negative spiral where it's just about ourselves and children are a lifestyle choice.

Local authorities are slashing all funding across the board, even for the services they are legally bound to provide, let alone ones they don't have to provide, like childrens centres.

All the ones i can find in the nearest city to me are run by charities, so a postcode lottery really.

Of course it should, but no one cares about the good of the nation, only their tiny bit of it and how much tax they pay. People seem to particularly object to anyone struggling getting some help, even if it does mean they/their children will be able to contribute more and cost less in the future.

We've got to stop allowing the government pitting vunerable groups against each other and convincing us that there's no other way to fund things.
I had to write a piece on the closing of surestart centers, Universal credit was at white paper stage. That's how I found MN. Without early intervention the rest falls apart. It's that simple.

Considering so many parents don't seem to be capable of parenting I might be useful.

We do seem to live in a pretty pathetic society where so many are incapable of parenting and so much supported seems to be needed

@Desecratedcoconut that does sound bad.
Although just because there might not be a physical "Children's Centre" where you are, the services offered might still take place but just in a different building.
My daughter was born 2008 - some of the sessions we attended were LA funded but held in a community centre or church hall.
Our HV sessions were in a children's centre but it was a charity run one. The Health Visitors just used the room.
I did a parenting group a couple of years ago for parents of SEN children - LA funded but held in a community centre.
I hope there at least some of those type of services are available in your area 🙁

Of course they should be reinstated. Investment in children and young families is vital - we are reaping so many negative results of the Tories failing to grasp this ..... No profit to be made?? - therefore not worth investing in.

I feel quite despairing at the morally bankrupt philosophies on which our government bases its actions. It makes me deeply sad.

Their investment in children and families takes the form of free (or is it?) child care so that parents can go out to work. The well-being of children and families is their last consideration.

It's not my life stage anymore so I'm on shakey ground getting into the nitty gritty. I expect that there are services around that can replicate pieces of that service in a fragmented and atomised manner but I think the strength of the sure start centres was in building a community around the activity of parental care.