Conference Papers

If you would like to order the papers for this conference, including the slide presentations as they were presented to the delegate on the day, click here.

"Parents bring up children not the government, and the research shows that Sure Start centres can help parents give their children the best start in life”
Rt Hon Ed Balls MP, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, March 2008

The national annual conference for children's centre leaders and partners.

An extra £7m funding was announced in March for extra children's centre outreach workers in the most disadvantaged areas and more training and guidance on working with black and minority ethnic families. This followed the “modest” but positive results of the National Sure Start Evaluation that children with access to Sure Start were better behaved, more independent and their parents provided better home learning and had more access to support services locally.

Moving towards the goal of 3,500 children's centres by 2010 and universal coverage, Sure Start Children's Centres are a key plank in delivering the government's Every Child Matters agenda and the ten-year strategy for childcare with access to affordable, flexible, high quality child care.

This major annual conference provides all those leading the way in providing high quality children's services through Sure Start Children's Centres, with the opportunity to come together, and share how they are improving outcomes for disadvantaged children ; to plan for the challenges and opportunities of phase 3 of the roll out; and to hear about how success is being achieved. This event brings together Sure Start Children's Centre leaders and their staff, children's services directors, and commissioning partners in PCTs, primary schools, health centres, JobCentre Plus and voluntary and private sector providers.

For further information contact Sarah Spencer on 020 7324 4359,
e-mail sarah.spencer@neilstewartassociates.co.uk