Chuka Umunna MP

The latest study of the Government’s Sure Start scheme has found that children and their families covered by the scheme are already benefitting from it.

Sure Start was launched in 1999, as an early years intervention to deliver the best start in life for every child, bringing together early education, childcare, health and family services. Streatham constituency has nine Sure Start Children’s centres, mostly attached to primary schools, where children under five and their families can receive support services and information:

• Effra Children’s Centre
• Jubilee Children’s Centre
• Maytree Children’s Centre
• Streatham United Reformed Church Children’s Centre
• Streatham Wells Children’s Centre
• Sunnyhill Children’s Centre
• The Weir Link Children’s Centre
• Tree House Children’s Centre at Holmewood Nursery School
• Woodmansterne Children’s Centre

Birkbeck, University of London’s latest study into the impact of Sure Start was published in Lancet Medical Journal in November, finding the initiative has already had a positive impact on the communities its programmes are being piloted in. The research compared 8,000 children from areas with and without Sure Start centres. Evidence showed that for 5 out of 14 indicators, families with SureStart were benefitting from the centres.

Researchers found that by the time they were 3 years old, children with Sure Start showed better social development, more positive social behaviour and greater independence. Parents of children were also affected by having Sure Start, generally exhibiting less negative parenting and providing a better learning environment at home. Sure Start families are also more likely to be aware of and access support services for child and family development.

This is great news for children in Streatham and nationwide, and evidence that when Sure Start is expanded to cover all communities nationwide, it will have a real impact on narrowing the socio-economic gap between children’s early development.

Chuka is a long time supporter of Sure start and sits on the board of Sunnyhill Children’s Centre:

“We know that the early formative years of a child’s life can determine so much of what comes after. This is why surestart is so very important to ensuring that we give all of our young the very best start in life.

“I have seen for myself in Sunnyhill the very real positive affects the scheme is having in our community.”

The complete study into Sure Start is available in the Lancet Medical Journal.

For more information on Sure Start, visit www.surestart.gov.uk.

Carys Afoko