The Children, Schools and Families committee said it was far too soon to judge the long-term impact of Sure Start, 'one of the most ambitious Government initiatives of recent decades', when the majority of centres had only been open for four years or less.
Committee chair Barry Sheerman said, 'To put at risk the pioneering work of the last 12 years would be nothing short of a disaster. The early years are when the greatest difference can be made to a child's life chances and it is vital that investment in children's centres is allowed to bear fruit.'
Now that a national network of centres was in place, the Government should focus on raising the quality of staff and services and improve their performance in reaching the most vulnerable families, the committee's report said.
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