by Newswire

Middle-class parents are likely to be charged for an increasing number of services at their local children’s centres under radical plans to overhaul Sure Start – the Labour government’s flagship childcare programme.

Sarah Teather, the children’s minister, will tell councils and charities that run the 3,500 centres to target resources towards the “neediest” families and consider charging the better-off for “fun” activities. Teather told the Observer that children’s centres would keep their “universal front door”.

“I’m not saying that Sure Start children’s services will be closed to some families in the area… We want it to be a non-stigmatising service. But within that service, we want it to be much better at targeting the resources,” she said.

The plans have already been denounced as a “disaster” by one Labour MP, who said that they were the first step towards ending the programme’s comprehensive nature. “The beauty of Sure Start is that it brings together families from different backgrounds – the entire community buys into it,” said Lisa Nandy, the MP for Wigan, who used to work at the Children’s Society. Even charging for a few services would change the whole ethos, she argued.

…more at The Guardian