Fact file

Never take it for granted that somebody knows what you mean when you talk about Sure Start. Often you need a thumbnail sketch or one-line description. The following can all be used in press releases and publicity materials. You can download a Word version here.

One sentence

Sure Start has been set up by the Government to ensure every child gets the best possible start in life, and help parents’ choose with confidence how they balance their work and family commitments.

One paragraph

Sure Start is the Government’s programme to deliver the best start in life for every child, and help parents’ choose with confidence, how they balance their work and family commitments. Sure Start will deliver better outcomes for all children, families and communities by working with local authorities and local partners to provide high quality early learning and integrated health and parental services at neighbourhood level. Sure Start Children’s Centres, initially in the most disadvantaged areas, are offering access to a wide range of high quality integrated early years services, and, by 2010, every community will have easy access to a Sure Start Centre and so the benefits of Sure Start will be felt nationwide. Underpinned by the new duties on local authorities under the Childcare Act 2006, these services will: increase the availability of childcare; improve the health, education and emotional development of children; and support parents as parents and in their aspirations towards employment.

Short piece

Sure Start is the Government’s programme to support children and families by delivering the best start in life for every child, and help parents’ balance their work and family commitments. It is reshaping early years and family services, so increasing numbers of young children and their parents can access high quality early learning and integrated health and parental services at neighbourhood level.

At March 2006, more than 617,000 (net) new registered childcare places have been created since 1997, and the stock of registered childcare stood at over 1.25 million places (well over 90% more than the 1997 level). Lower and middle income families receive substantial financial help with childcare costs, through Working Tax Credit totalling around £2m per day. All three- and four-year-olds are now guaranteed a free, part time (12½ hours per week), early education place for two years before reaching compulsory school age (the term following their fifth birthday). The Childcare Act 2006 will help sustain and secure the investment and advances made in early years services sine 1997, particularly the growth in a diverse childcare market.

One page

What is Sure Start?

Sure Start is the Government's programme to support young children and families through early education for all, more and better childcare and reshaping early years provision through the establishment of multi-agency Sure Start Children's Centres, bringing together early learning, health and family support. It is reshaping early education, childcare and family services, while actively supporting parents as parents and in their aspirations towards employment, education and training.

The Sure Start vision

Better quality services for all children. All three- and four-years-olds are now guaranteed a free, part-time (12½ hours per week) early education place for two years before reaching compulsory school age (the term following their fifth birthday). The Childcare Act will oblige local authorities to improve outcomes for all young children and reduce inequalities between them. They will do this through making sure local early childhood services are joined up and easily accessible, including supporting and mainstreaming the roll out of Sure Start Children's Centres. We are raising the quality of early education through the Foundation Stage, so children's learning and social and emotional development will be enhanced and they are all equipped to enjoy learning whatever their background or circumstances. The Childcare Act also establishes a reformed and simplified regulatory framework for early years and childcare to reduce bureaucracy and raise quality, including a new single framework for learning and development for children under five - the Early Years Foundation Stage - to ensure consistently high standards and promote achievement.

More accessible childcare for families who need it. We are linking early education with more high quality, accessible and affordable childcare services (alongside a range of other health and family support), in every neighbourhood to benefit children and enable parents to balance work and family life more effectively. The Government is providing extensive help with the cost of childcare through the tax credit system for those least able to afford it. The Childcare Act provides greater access to childcare that meets needs through duties on local authorities to secure sufficient childcare for all parents in work or training, and provide information to parents on childcare and a wide range of other services.

Reshaping children's services because every child matters. We are creating multi-agency Sure Start Children's Centres across the country, initially in the most disadvantaged areas, building on the success of existing integrated provision, to bring together high quality integrated early years services to the heart of communities. There will be 2,500 Sure Start Children's Centres by 2008, and all young children and their families in the most disadvantaged areas will have access to one, and 3,500 by 2010 - so every family has easy access to high quality integrated services in their community and the benefits of Sure Start can be felt nationwide. At 25 July 2006, 889 Sure Start Centres had been designated.

Why Sure Start matters

The Sure Start approach ensures that every child gets the best possible start in life, and helps parents' choose with confidence how they balance their work and family commitments.

• accessible, affordable, flexible and high quality early education and childcare improves children's social and emotional development, and in doing so, helps to break longer term cycles of poverty and deprivation
• research shows that children who experience high quality pre-school provision have better cognitive and social and emotional development when they start primary school (and maintain an advantage until at least age seven) than children who did not experience pre-school education and childcare
• suitable childcare is also an important route out of poverty, vital to parents - particularly those from low income families and lone parents - so they can work, learn and train, confident that their children are in a safe and stimulating environment