The new study by researchers at the Institute of Fiscal Studies followed children who had access to Sure Start right through to the end of primary school.
Researchers studied the impact of the programme on health in England over the period that it was being rolled out, between its start in 1999 and its peak in the late 2000s.
The study found that Sure Start had 'a big positive effect' on children’s health by the time they finished primary school, reducing hospitalisations, with the strongest benefits on children living in disadvantaged areas.
Researchers said these effects built over time: while there was no significant effect at the age of five, by 11 greater Sure Start coverage (one more centre per 1,000 children aged 0-4) prevents around 5,500 hospitalisations per year.
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