Many of the people reading this magazine will have worked either directly or indirectly with Sure Start children's centres and will have experienced first-hand the joined-up, practical, non-judgmental and life changing support they offer to families.
Many of us cheered when the government took the bold decision to protect the Sure Start budget in cash terms in the spending review. However, what has emerged in the past few weeks is a worrying sense that local authorities, faced with difficult decisions, are thinking the unthinkable.
Which is why we decided to ask those at the coalface what was really going on. Our survey laid bare what many of us had begun to fear. Seven per cent of centre managers fear their centre will be closed within a year, and a further 56 per cent think it will provide a reduced service. Almost a third of children's centres have put some staff on notice of potential redundancy. But it is not all doom and gloom. Some authorities are stretching every sinew to protect vital frontline services. We hope that more will follow their lead.
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