The report by the Children’s Society, ‘Breaking barriers’, highlights a number of constraints for both parents and practitioners exacerbated by budget cuts that it says are leaving too many deprived families and children without key support.
It goes on to say that as a consequence of cuts to the early intervention grant since 2010, which will be halved in real terms from £3bn to £1.5bn in 2015, many children’s centres are inevitably under extreme financial pressure.
The report, based on a survey of 170 families with children up to five years old who do not use children’s centres, and consultations with children’s centre staff and users, also highlights a number of barriers preventing parents from accessing centres and the struggles staff face in engaging with these families.
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