Action for Children's Closed Doors report found that since 2014, the number of children using children's centres in the most deprived local authority areas has fallen faster than in the least deprived areas.
In the poorest areas, there has been a 22 per cent fall compared to 12 per cent among the most affluent.
The decline is described by the charity as "deeply worrying" because deprived areas traditionally record poorer outcomes for children at age five.
It means thousands of new parents have "nowhere to turn for early help support", according to Imran Hussain, director of policy at Action for Children.
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here
