“We welcome the Prime Minister’s acknowledgement that providing the earliest support possible for those most vulnerable children and families in our society is the most effective way of increasing their life chances and overcoming disadvantage.

“These announcements build on the extensive ground work of Sure Start and Children’s Centres which provide the potential for joined-up support for all families from pre-birth to five, and must be central to any new policy developments of the kind suggested. Similarly, only by closer liaison and engagement with other agencies, such as health visitors and social services including parenting support, can we provide the kind of outreach families need.

“The Prime Minister is right to focus on investment in the very early years as consistent evidence – including the five-year Effective Provision of Pre-school Education (EPPE) project, conducted on behalf of the DfES – shows that effective early intervention offers vulnerable children a real chance to reach their full potential. This is why the continued roll-out of Children’s Centres nationally, is so vital to these aims.

But none of this will happen without providing more dedicated resources for children and families and a willingness by all authorities to make this a priority in their spending. Building more resources into any new initiatives is key and we call on government to make this central in their next spending review. Only with these kinds of integrated and targeted systems in place can we begin to offer a better future for the most vulnerable families.”

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