What are Children's Centres? The Development of CC Services, 2004–2008¹

Abstract

Children's centres are intended to be a mainstream, universal service. They began in 2004 and their origins are diverse. Some replaced various forms of local provision, most notably Sure Start programmes; others were established from scratch. Issues for exploratory empirical work have been identified from the guidance issued by central government. Using interview data from three urban local authorities, this article explores the nature of the 'core offer' that centres are expected to provide and the way in which they have pursued the goal of integrating staff and services. The article highlights the problems of balancing a focus on the child and on the parent; of reconciling childcare provision as part of the employability agenda and as a means to educational achievement for the child; of permitting local variation while achieving consistency; of the role of monitoring in relation to developing good practice; and of achieving integration in a mixed economy of care. We find that despite the greater specification of the core offer for children's centres compared to that for Sure Start, there are substantial differences between children's centres in terms of services, while the mixed economy of provision poses considerable challenges to the goal of integration.

Systematic review of parenting interventions in European countries aiming to reduce social inequalities in children’s health and development

“…However, only three studies assessing the impact of child care were identified in this review. Previous reviews - based on intervention descriptions - found that children’s centres were increasing in number in the UK, as part of a strategy of social investment [ 61 , 62 ]. Studies by Melhuish and colleagues found that high quality children’s centres appeared to reduce socioeconomic inequalities, as children from less advantaged backgrounds benefited more than those from more advantaged backgrounds.…”

Interventions to reduce inequalities in health and early child development in Europe from a qualitative perspective

“…It encouraged involvement to promote positive management skills and self - regulation. Other previous studies illustrated ways in which parenting activities delivered across income groups [8, 11] were not limited to cognitive gains, but also included physical, social, and emotional gains, all of which are determinants of health over the life course [12, 23, 28–30]. However, while focusing on parenting is important, it is also necessary to address the conditions of daily life which make positive parenting difficult.…”

Interventions to reduce inequalities in health and early child development in Europe from a qualitative perspective

“…It encouraged involvement to promote positive management skills and self -regulation. Other previous studies illustrated ways in which parenting activities delivered across income groups [8,11] were not limited to cognitive gains, but also included physical, social, and emotional gains, all of which are determinants of health over the life course [12,23,[28][29][30]. However, while focusing on parenting is important, it is also necessary to address the conditions of daily life which make positive parenting difficult.…”