The as-yet-unpublished research, conducted by Ipsos Mori on behalf ofthe National Audit Office, has said it is important that children'scentres maintain a neutral and welcoming image, and appear to beavailable to, and suitable for, all parents.
The Children's Centres Value for Money Study states: "While buildingsocial friendships appears to be a 'spin-off' benefit from usingchildren's centres, in some cases parents have been put off by perceivedcliquishness among existing users."
It adds that fathers are often overlooked and not catered for, butacknowledges that they are less easy to engage in the female-dominatedenvironment.
The study looked at the views of parents at five centres and canvassedthe views of national children's charities. It found that children'scentres reach families often overlooked by mainstream services. However,long-term funding and clear goals are needed to achieve Governmentaims.
In the report, children's charities said long-term funding was neededand that performance assessments need to consider the long-term benefitsof centres rather than immediate results.
Alison Garnham, joint chief executive of the Daycare Trust, said: "It isvital that children's centres do all they can to welcome parents, andreally important to support fathers in being involved with theirchildren's early years care and education.
"For children's centres to reach as many parents as possible, goodoutreach is essential. This can include leafleting local estates andoffering taster sessions, including some specifically for fathers."
