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If you are wondering ‘What is a Sure Start Children Centre’, Sure Start benefits and how to find a Sure Start Children’s Centre near you, this advice article has a summary of the key details.
The Sure Start programme was introduced by the government to provide a variety of Sure Start benefits (including Sure Start Children’s Centres) to support children aged under four by helping their families living in disadvantaged areas of the UK.
The Sure Start initiative, known as Flying Start in Wales, supports disadvantaged families and parents from pregnancy until their child starts school.
Sure Start aims to enhance the life chances for young children growing up in disadvantaged neighbourhoods and provide equal opportunity to early learning and childcare.
This is because children in these communities are at risk of doing poorly at school, having trouble with peers, those in authority (i.e., parents, teachers), and ultimately experiencing compromised life chances (e.g., early school leaving, unemployment, limited longevity).
Although England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own versions of the programme, they aim to achieve a similar goal.
What is a Sure Start Children’s Centre?
Sure Start helps children to learn new skills and support their social and emotional development as well as support families’ health and wellbeing. This could be through enhanced health visits, support for good quality play and children’s centres.
Some nurseries are part of the Sure Start programme, providing additional services to further support children’s early years. The programme offers different services, including the Sure Start Maternity Grant which is a one-off payment to help towards the costs of having a baby. In Scotland, this is called Pregnancy and Baby Payment.
The Government-led Sure Start Children’s Centres have supported many young children and their parents, with targeted early years support and other services.
A Sure Start Children’s Centre is linked to maternity services and provides family health and support services, early years’ learning as well as full and part-time day care for children up to five years old or pre-school age.
What support services they provide depends on the needs of children and their families. They know that many parents feel anxious about their new caring responsibilities and that looking after a growing child is a huge task.
You may be a first-time mum or dad, or you are unsure of what to do or what help is available. The centres are there for you with any questions or concerns you may have.
Sure Start Benefits
What support do Sure Start Children’s Centres offer?
Sure Start Children’s Centres offer a variety of advice and support, including:
- Parenting
- Antenatal services
- Managing money
- Family support
- Benefits
- Training and employment
- Child development, such as help with speech and communication
- Breastfeeding
- Activities during school holidays
- Nutrition and healthy eating
- Finding local SEND services
A Sure Start centre can also help you to find a childcare place, for example at a nursery.
The purpose of Sure Start children’s centres is to ensure that all children across the country have the opportunity to reach their potential, achieved by supporting both the family as a whole as well as their children.
How to find a Sure Start Children’s Centre near you
To find a Sure Start nursery or children’s centre where you are, click on the relevant country below.
Children’s Centres are there for you from the moment you know you are expecting a baby and can support you through the pregnancy up until your child starts school.
Since 2010, 1,416 Sure Start centres in England have shut. They reduced in number from 3,620 in 2010 to 2,204 in 2023.
The UK Government is now working with local authorities across the UK to roll out their ‘Start for Life’ programme and develop Family Hub programmes. The Family Hubs and Start for Life programme helps meet commitments published in ‘The best start for life: a vision for the 1,001 critical days’.
The UK Government says that Family Hubs will improve families’ access to services, describing them as “a local innovation, developed to meet local needs and better support families.”
They will focus on early help and support for families and children, including support for children with special educational needs and disabilities. In terms of which services each Family Hub will deliver stems from what local families need.
What help can Family Hubs give?
Some examples of the support Family Hubs give include:
- Early help and prevention services
- Wider early years services and education
- Public Health, Public Health Nursing and Midwifery services and support, as part of the government’s Best Start in Life initiative
- Activities, support and opportunities being made available locally by community groups, charities and the voluntary sector
- Drug, alcohol and domestic abuse or violence support
- Wider health support for children and young people including mental health support and neurodevelopmental support
- Community activity-based short breaks offered for disabled children and young people.
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