The charity's annual census received responses from 578 children’s centres covering 133 local authorities. Questioned on financial sustainability, 62 per cent of respondents said they had decreased their budgets in the past year.
“The picture for the year ahead continues to be challenging,” the report said. “While service provision across centres does not appear to have substantially reduced over the past year, efficiencies that do not affect service provision can only go so far.
“If the same or higher proportion of centres report decreased budgets this time next year, then there may be little option but to reduce service provision.”
Nearly 60 per cent of respondents said they were coping financially, but more than one in ten said they were struggling. Forty two per cent of respondents said they are providing more services than last year, while 41 per cent said they have maintained levels of service provision.
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