With plans for a new duty to be placed on local authorities to secure childcare provision, there are fears that Sure Start children's centres will be developed with little input from the local community and, as a result, they will be less effective in meeting families' needs.
This is a legitimate concern and one that the Government has to take seriously.
That doesn't mean that local authorities shouldn't be given lead responsibility for developing Sure Start services. As the democratic, elected body closest to the community it is right that local authorities are accountable for the services in their area.
But the Government cannot sit back and hope that local authorities will heed advice to engage parents when developing services. Local authorities have long faced criticism that they are not good enough at involving the public in their decision-making. Indeed, the same might be said of most public bodies.
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