The flagship Sure Start programme has saved the NHS millions of pounds through the benefits it has brought to children including some of the most deprived areas and reducing the number of those taken to hospital, according to a study.
Research by the Institute for Fiscal Studies “found that where Sure Start offered high levels of service in poor neighbourhoods in England, visits to hospital to treat injuries fell among all children of primary school age, and by a third of all 11-year-olds”.
Tracy Brabin, the shadow early years minister, said: “This research shows the critical role Sure Start plays in children’s health, as well as their development. But shamefully, over a thousand Sure Start centres have been lost through years of austerity, meaning children and families across the country are missing out.”
According to a 2018 study by the Sutton Trust, as many as 1,000 Sure Start children’s centres may have been shut down in England since 2010.
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What does Sure Start mean to you? Perhaps you helped set up a centre near you, or maybe you worked in one. We would like to hear from families who have used Sure Start centres, especially those who have lost them in their area. What are the alternatives near you? You can get in touch by filling in the encrypted form below. One of our reporters may contact you to discuss further and we may feature some of your responses in our reporting.
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