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.
Daycare Trust director Stephen Burke said, 'Everyone takes their local primary school and GP for granted. The same should be true of childcare and family support services. The Government now has the opportunity to build on the Early Excellence Centres, Sure Start programmes and nurseries set up in the past four years and make childcare, early years and family support services available to all children and parents in every community.'
He called for the Government to show 'commitment, long-term vision and sustained investment' to develop the centres and argued that the cost was 'a price worth paying for investing in all our futures'.
However, the National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) criticised the report for not proposing to work in partnership with the private sector. NDNA chief executive Rosemary Murphy, said, 'In terms of political policy the idea of the state providing as much as possible is good, but nothing in the report looks at how the development of children's centres would impinge on what is already there.
'There is a misconception in the public arena that private nurseries cater only for rich children, which is not true. Sure Start, NHS and Neighbourhood Nurseries are setting up in areas where there is already provision - sometimes within a 100-yard radius. What is missing from this proposal is whether existing provision will be affected.'
The report is available for 10 (inc p&p) from the Daycare Trust on 020 7840 3350.
