Commenting on new research from the Institute of Fiscal Studies
showing the beneficial impact Sure Start centres have on children
and the support they offer to families, Niamh Sweeney,
Deputy General Secretary of the National Education
Union, said:
“The Institute of Fiscal Studies new research is further evidence
that Early Years investment matters. Sure Start Centres gave
families the services they need and deserve, enabling them to
give their children the best start in life. The results are
clear: improved attainment, especially for children from
low-income households and early intervention and support for
those with SEND.
‘Unfortunately, such valuable support has been decimated, leaving
families in desperate need of support. Now it's early years
professionals who are picking up the pieces. Our members tell us
their work has expanded far beyond early education and can now
include Speech and Language therapy; emotional and mental health
support for families; parenting class and much more. No
sustainable Early Years system can be built on the back of a
workforce subject to such excessive and complex workloads in a
context of deepening social crisis.
‘Family services need investment, so the all-round needs of
children can be met. This must be alongside investment into early
years settings, including Maintained nursery schools which
provide the highest quality of early education”.
