Childcare experts say it is vital to maintain the Sure Start "ethos" as children's centres are rolled out nationwide.
Stephen Burke, director of the Daycare Trust, said it was crucial families continued to have a say in services as local authorities were given more budget control.
His comments follow claims in a high-profile newspaper article by Norman Glass, chief executive of the National Centre for Social Research and one of the architects of Sure Start, that the programme had effectively been scrapped.
But Burke said there was still hope. "The Government's 10-year strategy for childcare is all about extending Sure Start across the whole country to ensure that every community and every family can benefit," he said.
Burke has announced he will be leaving the Daycare Trust in March to become chief executive of Counsel and Care.
