CYP Now - Charity sees children's centres income fall by £14m

The largest provider of children's centres in England has been forced to close or downgrade more than half its settings, make nearly 500 staff redundant and work with 69,000 fewer children and families over the past year following "crippling" central government funding cuts, it has emerged.

The latest annual report and accounts published by Action for Children show that the fall in early help work in the past financial year has resulted in income from children's centres dropping by £13.8m in the 2017/18 compared with 2016/17.

Action for Children is the the largest provider of children's centres in England running 120 settings, but the report confirms in the last year the charity has closed or reduced services at 128 centres.

In 2016, it took over the running of dozens of children's centres formerly run by 4Children, before that charity went into administration in late August 2016.

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