Sure Start may return : this would be really good for women & children

[AliasGrace47]

I was thinking yesterday of examples of gov policies from the last 20 years that have actually been positive. Sure Start is an obvious one. If only they could revive it... More support for mothers, esp vulnerable ones. We hear all the time about the bad effect of screens on Gen Alpha. This would be a good antidote. General loneliness and loss of community, esp for mums, would be helped too. The falling birth rate is an issue : most women want kids but the support isn't there. This would be another good effect (as opposed to the kooky or worse misogynistic solutions you hear from so-called natalists too often).

www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=www.theguardian.com/society/2025/may/25/uk-child-poverty-taskforce-set-to-recommend-return-of-sure-start-scheme&ved=2ahUKEwjY0sWmodCNAxUOQkEAHbEzNJgQFnoECCcQAQ&usg=AOvVaw1c2BPxh32Uc1i2R5qr3zqB

Yes, it would be brilliant news for women and children. I suspect as soon as the Tories get back into power they will cancel it again though.

Agreed. One of the outstanding successes of the last labour government. No wonder the tories cut it early doors.

My local council just set up a similar thing, one building with so much support for parents and kids. It's brilliant

We still have them in our area they are called family hubs . There used to be quite a few but they were cut back to 3 sites now they have just expanded to a new site. They are brilliant. They have a series of free baby classes, adult learning courses, groups for carers and young mums . They are stretched thin though there are only 3 ladies running the whole thing.

I’m confused though this may be regional. In my area it was sure start then it was children’s centres run by various charities in clusters. They are now being relaunched as family hubs with the idea they are for all children instead of preg to 5. They had loads more cash in the old labour days but the delivery of services to vulnerable Galilee has stayed much the same here. There was a really lean period where loads closed few years back but they are reviving now. I did my ante natal classes at one.

They're not coming back for a while. The party is floundering. It's Reform we need to worry about. And even they would probs see value in a scheme like Sure Start, though I pray they don't get in in 2027. Starmer has 2 years to take control & implement strong, positive policies. 💪

Ah my mum is a carer for my gran. A scheme like this would be so good for her. The decimation of social services is a disgrace. We pay high taxes yet why are our services not improving?

I really hope they do this
we have family hubs here but they are only in the most deprived areas whereas Sure start was for everyone, which was the whole point- it was normal to use it

and dare I say it, middle class families have problems too

This is one of those areas where a few wealthy benefactors would make so much difference.

In ye olden days super rich people built libraries and public buildings so they could put their name on them and be remembered forever. Yes they were vanity projects but they also did public good.

I'd have so much respect for e.g. the Beckham family support centre or the Sir Alan Sugar apprenticeship training college. Way to genuinely make your name mean something in history.

Often these things run on absolute peanuts, what they mainly need is a suitable building and a few core members of staff and other community groups use the space and make it a valuable resource for the community.

The only British person I'm aware who does this sort of thing (without putting their name to it) is J K Rowling.

Government run and funded schemes are always vulnerable to political changes.

I think David Cameron hoped his rich mates would come through for him in his 'Big Society' vision when they scrapped surestart the first time round.... but they didn't

Oh good news for once, SureStart were great.