Confirmation that the government has shelved indefinitely its consultation on the future of children's centres surprised few people in the early years sector.
Announced in autumn 2015, the consultation had been postponed on numerous occasions, during which time hundreds of children's centres have been closed or had services removed (see Centre Closures box).
In a letter to a select committee, children's minister Nadhim Zahawi said rather than running a children's centres consultation, the government wanted to focus on implementing a number of early years social mobility programmes.
The move follows news that the government has established a cross-departmental ministerial working group to explore the idea of turning children's centres into "one-stop shops" for advice on pregnancy and parenting.
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