As Labour ramped up its election campaign, education secretary Ruth Kelly, making her first speech on early years, said the Government had put children and families at the heart of its policies.
But she faced tough questions about the level of funding for children's centres and the rapid pace of change.
Opening the conference, Daycare Trust chair Lisa Harker explained: "There is a concern that in the rush to develop services quality will be compromised."
Carol Pitman, manager of Sure Start Weymouth and Portland, said she was feeling "pretty desperate" after learning of the funding allocation for 2006/07.
She said her budget could drop from 786,000 to 117,000 as more children's centres were planned for the area.
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