Nursery World - Children's centre use drops dramatically

The number of children using children’s centres has fallen by nearly 20 per cent, with a sharp drop in use among under-fives.

The Action for Children report also found that the poorest council areas were worst hit.

The proportion of children aged under five who have used a children’s centre fell from 50 per cent to 41 per cent between 2014/15 and 2017/18.

Children’s centre use across the population has fallen by nine percentage points in the last few years. As centres become more targeted and work with those children with the greatest need, they are gradually reaching a smaller percentage of the total population.

The charity also estimates that the number of children receiving support from a children’s centre has fallen annually, as budget cuts and closures continue.

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