More than 50 children's centres at risk in Birmingham

As part of efforts to save money, the local authority wants to combine health visiting, children's centres, pregnancy and breastfeeding support services, and early years parenting support services.

Under the plans, the local authority services will continue to be provided from 22 children's centres, however, 12 of these will be "hub" sites and will not meet the statutory criteria for being an official children's centre, meaning only 10 designated children's centres will remain.

Birmingham Council said the new system would be a "fairer" way of providing early years services for children and families in the city. Services will be delivered at more locations across the city, rather than from existing children's centres.

It will be delivered by Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, which has been awarded the contract to deliver the services from September in partnership with charities Barnardo's, Spurgeons, St Paul's Community Development Trust and the Springfield Project.

Brigid Jones, lead member for children and families, said: "We need to target services towards those children and families that need them the most, and where they need them most.

"So rather than focusing on bricks and mortar we need to make services available at places children and families use the most - for example, having access points in GP surgeries.

"The new system will provide a far more integrated service, so instead of having 76 different contracts, creating a widely differing service depending on where you live, there will be one contract with Birmingham Community Healthcare."

The contract with the providers has been signed for five years, with the option to extend by a further two if it is successful.

Birmingham City Council currently runs 61 children's centres but Jones told CYP Now last year that closures would be necessary as the council attempts to save £16m on early years spending by 2020.

A consultation into the planned changes has been launched.