Four years after the government removed the ringfenced funding for children's centres, a huge number are falling victim to local authority budget cuts.
While most centres have been retained – 3,055 of the 3,615 that were open in April 2010, according to figures cited by childcare minister Elizabeth Truss in January – many local authorities have been forced to scale back services or seek to remodel provision to cope with funding constraints and to keep as many centres as possible operating.
Some have adopted hub and spoke models, while others have turned to the voluntary sector to deliver services on their behalf.
A Department for Education spokeswoman says: "We want to see a strong network of children's centres in place across the country, offering families access to a wide range of local, flexible services so that they can choose what works best for their child. Councils are best placed to decide how to organise these services."
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
