DfE removes data on children's centre numbers

From last month, only figures detailing the number of children’s centres open in April 2010 are available online, leading to accusations that the government is trying to "hide" the number of centres that have been closed or downgraded over the past three years.

The move was brought to light by childcare minister Elizabeth Truss, who, in response to a parliamentary question asked by Labour MP Jim Cunningham, said the government had carried out a “data-cleansing exercise” as part of a review of the way it collects and publishes data on children’s centres.

She said the aim of the exercise is to resolve unreliable data issues and to ensure that only the “as accurate as possible" figures are published.

According to Truss, only 65 of the 3,615 centres open in April 2010 have closed, despite an official tally, published last November on the government's website and now subsequently removed, stating that there were 3,055 children’s centres open.

She said the shortfall is accounted for by a further 501 sites designated as children’s centres in the April 2010 census that provide services to children and families as part of a network of children’s centres.

But shadow childcare minister Lucy Powell criticised the government for removing the information.

She said: “The government might have deleted this information from the website, but it can’t pull the wool over people’s eyes.

“In communities across the country, centres are closing or opening for shorter hours – yet another broken promise from this Tory-led government.

“They may have taken this information off the website, but they can’t hide the truth – there are fewer and fewer centres and services are being slashed.”

However, a Department for Education spokesman said the website will be updated regularly with the latest information on the number of children’s centres in each local authority and the services they provide.

A survey by 4Children, published in October, revealed that 31 per cent of children’s centres expected to provide less services in the coming year as a result of funding pressures, while two per cent expected to close despite them serving more families than ever before.