Sure Start

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Sure Start logo

Sure Start is a UK Government initiative, originating with The Treasury, with the aim of "giving children the best possible start in life" through improvement of childcare, early education, health and family support, with an emphasis on outreach and community development. The programme was originally intended to support families from pregnancy until children were four years old but the brand was extended to cover an undefined responsibility up to age fourteen, or sixteen for those with disabilities.

Launched in 1998, Sure Start had similarities to the Early Head Start programme in the United States and is also comparable to Australia Head Start [1] and Ontario’s Early Years Plan. There were planned to be over 520 Sure Start centres but new proposals suggest having up to 2,500 "Sure Start Children's Centres" by 2008 and 3500 by 2010, which have the same ambitions as Sure Start but with much lower funding per centre. The new centres will be controlled by local government rather than be autonomously run by local communities, especially parents.

Related to the Government's goal of reducing child poverty, the initial districts for Sure Start development were selected "according to the levels of deprivation within their areas" [2] the focus being particularly on disadvantaged areas but open to all families living in the catchment area. Such catchment areas were selected locally by the projects.

Sure Start is overseen by the Department for Children Schools and Families and the Department for Work and Pensions. The programme has been described by Tony Blair as "one of New Labour's greatest achievements".

= Each project was allowed to develop in its own way depending on the expressed wishes of parents and the guidance of the various organisations heading up each one. Policy on such maters as choosing volunteers and event he services offered were a local level decision. [3].

Sure Start local programmes were opened in waves, Round 1 indicates the first wave of programmes starting 1999. Round 6 represents the final wave of Sure Start local programmes mostly starting in 2003. [4]

Sure start programs are set to run for a specified number of years before the initial funding is tapered down and eventually stopped.

The National Evaluation of the programme is ongoing.The latest evaluation, at age three years,showed positive, if modest, effects for all categories of families (NESS/2008/sf/027).

In 2006 Sure Start Millmead (SureStart Millmead Children’s Centre is one of the early "trail blazer" surestarts forming part of the early piloting of the scheme) became a Community Mutual (a mutual society owned by the community). The community elected board met for the first time in September of 2006. Millmead is located near Margate, Kent, UK

This addressed the problem presented by the tapering off of funds allocated to the project. The elections were held after a large number of audits including a glowing report from OFSTED after the first inspection of the purpose build Meadow Nursery which under the Community Mutual must make a modest profit.

Many Sure Start Local Programmes have become leaders in developing Children's Centres. As well as Community Mutuals, some Sure Start Local Programmes have become registered Charities and Companies Limited by guarantee. Sure Start Hounslow a programme in West London, became a company limited by guarantee in 2004 and now delivers a range of services, many through Service Level Agreement with the local authority, not all of which focus entirely on children under five. This development has been one of many routes that Sure Start Local Programmes have taken to ensure sustainability during the "tapering" of the original Sure Start Grant.