Taking advantage

Concentrating children's centres in poorer areas creates ghettoes that could actually hold children's progress back, a major study suggests. Simon Vevers investigates Tackling disadvantage in the early years has emerged as a key plank of policy as the Government has unveiled a succession of initiatives. Through Sure Start programmes, the Neighbourhood Nurseries initiative and now the proposed Children's Centres, the target has been to help children and families in the 20 per cent most impoverished wards in the...