Managers fear precarious future for children's centres funding

By Ross Watson Thursday, 28 May 2009

Children's services professionals have grave concerns about the future funding of children's centres, a poll has shown.

Children playing at children's centre

The poll, taken at last week's CYP Now conference on children's centres, found 52 per cent were "very concerned" about future funding for centres.

A quarter of the voters, who included children's centre managers and directors of children's services (DCSs), felt the centres were deemed a low priority in their local authority, while 30 per cent said their centres relied solely on Sure Start for funding.

Deborah Absalom, chair of the conference and DCS for Bexley, said there were fears that children's centres would not have funding ringfenced in the next spending period and would rely solely on local authorities. "There are significant challenges in getting children's centres up local authorities' priority lists, because they will have to show evidence of outcomes," she added.

But Professor Edward Melhuish, who leads the National Evaluation of Sure Start, told CYP Now it could be "several years" before we see robust, long-term outcomes from children's centres. "The government must have faith before it passes judgment," he said.

Another concern raised was finding suitable sites for the third and final phase of the children's centre rollout programme, particularly in affluent rural areas surrounded by pockets of deprivation.

Alan Dinning, deputy DCS in Hertfordshire, which has the largest concentration of phase three centres, said it is difficult to create places that appeal to the community but do not alienate the families most in need of services.

Together for Children, which is supporting the delivery of the centres, is working with architects to offer advice on the issue.

National programme director Liz Railton said funds for centres would be available, but she could not say how much until the next spending review. She said centres that had been around for some years should be thinking about outcomes now. "It is legitimate to ask 'are you making a difference?'"

A spokeswoman for the Department for Children, Schools and Families said: "It is becoming increasingly important that children's centres demonstrate the difference they are making as they become part of mainstream children's services."