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Save Sure Start children's centres
Sure Start is the Government’s programme to deliver the best start in life for every child by bringing together early education, childcare, health and family support.
The Early Years, Extended Schools and Special Needs Group, within the DCSF, is responsible for delivering Sure Start.
Sure Start covers a wide range of programmes, both universal and those targeted on particular local areas or disadvantaged groups within England.
Responsibility for early education and childcare issues lies with the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Integrated Early Years services
For some time the DCSF has been encouraging the delivery of childcare alongside early education and other health and family services.
Sure Start children’s centres
Sure Start children’s centres are building on existing successful initiatives like Sure Start local programmes, neighbourhood nurseries and early-excellence centres, and bringing high-quality integrated Early Years services to the heart of communities.
By 2010, there will be 3500 children's centres, so that every family has easy access to high-quality integrated services in their community and the benefits of Sure Start can be felt nationwide. For more information see the 'Children’s centres' section.
Early education
All 3- and 4-year-olds are now guaranteed a free, part-time (12½ hours per week, 38 weeks per year), early-education place. There are over 37,000 settings delivering free, Government-funded, early education in the maintained, private, voluntary and independent sectors.
For more information on raising the quality of learning and development opportunities for children, and giving children the best possible start to their learning journey, see the Early Years Foundation Stage. This replaces the Birth to Three Matters Framework and Foundation Stage.
Childcare
In December 2008, the stock of registered childcare stood at over 1.3 million places (more than double the 1997 level).
There will be a childcare place for all children aged between 3 and 14, between 8am and 6pm each weekday by 2010, when there will be over 2 million sustainable childcare places for children up to 14. For more information, see 'Extended schools'.
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Last updated on 01/07/2009
