Children's minister Sarah Teather, who revealed the plans at a debate in Westminster Hall last week, said that the Government is to publish a policy statement on children's centres in the spring. She said it would be co-produced with the childcare sector and that it will build on ideas and best practice from settings.
Ms Teather said, 'Key areas for reform will include an increase in the use of evidence-based interventions. We believe public money should go to services that have proved their effectiveness, particularly in supporting the most disadvantaged and vulnerable families.
'We also want improved accountability and transparency. That includes the introduction of payment by results so that local authorities and providers are rewarded for the results they achieve. We intend next year to make local authorities publish more information about how they spend their money, so it will be clear what they are spending on children's centres and what money they are holding back for administrative support.'
The Government has published its response to the report by the Select Committee on Education about Sure Start children's centres published last year (News, 31 March 2010). The Government says that its vision for children's centres is to intervene early to support the needs of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children and their families, while retaining a national network of centres that are accessible to all families.
The report says children's centres have 'huge potential' as 'hubs' of the Big Society and that it wants to enable local areas to consider, in consultation with their communities, what other services can be based in children's centres.