Member of Parliament for South Shields
Shields Gazette 2007
Sure Start is a Sure Success
On the front page of Friday evening’s Gazette was the news of the £18.3 million boost for Sure Start in South Tyneside. Nationally the amount of money being invested in Sure Start Children’s Centres by 2010 will be a massive £4 billions, this is on top of the £21 billion invested by Labour on early years and childcare services since 1997. This is a clear commitment from this government that young people do matter, and this government will give them every opportunity to develop and learn.
Here is South Shields we have fantastic Sure Start Centres, I have had the pleasure to visit them on a number of occasions. The commitment of the staff is second to none, and the services available are welcomed by parents. Thanks to the extra funding, Sure Start Children’s Centres will become a “one stop shop”, where parents will find all the services they need under one roof, ranging from maternity checks to advice on getting back to work.
I am proud that it is this Labour Government which introduced Sure Start, this scheme has made such a difference – just ask the families of the 2800 young people who currently use Sure Start in South Tyneside. Whenever I visit these centres, I see children enjoying different aspects of learning - with their parents.
The future is bright for Sure Start – the extra funding will pay for additional training and support for the early years workforce, such training will ensure that every child has the high quality provision that they deserve – by funding the training directly, costs can be kept down, this will keep childcare affordable. The Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, Mr Ed Balls MP, fully understands that the most disadvantaged children need to be included in the learning world, for that reason, he has announced that a new scheme will be established to support the delivery of Sure Start Children’s Centres and to make sure they do the best possible outreach work.
Sure Start centres in South Shields are leading the way, they are reaching out to the communities that they serve – the recent funding announcement will allow the staff to do even more to give our young people the very best start in life.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Sure Start teams in South Shields – your efforts and dedication is greatly appreciated by the children and families that you help – Thank You.