The author is incorrect in suggesting that the early evaluation of Sure Start shows that the initiative is ineffective. The evaluation actually gives us an indication that it is succeeding in making a difference to the vast majority of parents and children.
The objectives of Sure Start were clear from the beginning, but it was right that we allowed Sure Start local programmes freedom in how they met them so that services met the needs of the local community.
Local evaluation has contributed to the evidence base about what works, particularly in giving parents and children a role in determining the way local services are provided. It has also helped local areas to improve their own service delivery. Programmes were supported in their evaluations by a team of locally based researchers and academics led by Birkbeck College.
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