Sure Start Children’s Centres are one of the most important developments in recent years. The last Labour government set them up in 1998 with the aim of “giving children the best possible start in life” through improvement of childcare, early education, health and family support, with an emphasis on outreach and community. The aim was to set up 250 Sure Start Local Programmes, reaching up to 150,000 children in areas of deprivation. Ireland Wood Children’s Centre and the one at Shire Oak in Headingley are just two of them.
The Labour Government initially pledged to fund Sure Start for 10 years. But in 2003, the Government announced its long-term plan to transfer Sure Start into the control of local government by 2005, and to create a Sure Start Children’s Centre in every community. Labour followed this up with the provision of funding to open 2,500 Sure Start Children’s Centres by…
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Adel and Wharfedale Branch 