Although Chancellor George Osborne confirmed that funding for Sure Start children's centres will not be cut and be protected 'in cash terms', experts fear pressure on council budgets will mean cuts to vital services are inevitable.
While spending on education will rise in real terms every year, from £35bn to £39bn over four years, other education budget elements will not be ring-fenced.
The Department for Education's non-schools budget, which covers children's services, will be cut by 12 per cent.
The DfE confirmed that the Government was committed to keeping Sure Start universal, but also wants to look at how to reach the neediest families.
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