A report by the Daycare Trust published earlier this week examines the costs and benefits of delivering a national programme of children's centres by 2010. Children's centres: Exploring the costs and delivery of a national scheme, by economist Sally Holtermann, said the centres could combine childcare, early years education and family support services and be linked to other local children's services.
The Trust acknowledged that a nationwide network of children's centres would cost 2.5bn a year. It said benefits would include reducing child poverty and increasing family incomes by helping parents take up jobs, and improving children's learning and social development. It said that links between services would mean needs would be identified sooner and met better, and that by serving the whole community, children's centres would be clearly visible and less stigmatised than some services targeted at specific social groups.
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