It found that economies of scale were a key factor in the wide discrepancy, with smaller programmes spending more on each child, more on non-service costs and more on each key service than larger programmes.
An interim report on the cost-effectiveness of SSLPs said the disparities also did not appear to be based on differences in the level of existing services but 'seem to reflect different choices about which services to offer and at what level'.
The study, which is part of the national evaluation of Sure Start, found only 'very limited evidence' that programmes with higher levels of expenditure are reaching more children than those spending less.
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