---
title: Prioritise early childhood development. — Babyzone
description: At Babyzone, we are firmly committed to advocating for similar initiatives that prioritise early childhood development. We believe that every child, regardless of their background, deserves the best start in life.
image: https://babyzone.org.uk/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/edi-libedinsky-1bhp9zBPHVE-unsplash.jpg
---
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# Why this means more than you think
[Recent research](https://ifs.org.uk/sites/default/files/2024-04/SS_NPD_Report.pdf) by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has begun to shed light on the impact of Sure Start, and the findings are both encouraging and enlightening. The studies have shown that Sure Start has had significant positive effects on children's hospitalisations and educational outcomes, particularly for children from low-income families and those from non-white backgrounds.
The research found that children who lived within 2.5km of a Sure Start centre for their first five years performed better in their GCSEs. The impacts were much larger for those from the poorest backgrounds and those from non-white backgrounds. By the time they took their GCSEs, effects were six times higher for those eligible for free school meals than for those not eligible for them.
Taking into account only the impact of Sure Start on educational attainment and the prevalence of Special Educational Needs (SEN), it's suggested that its benefits slightly exceeded its costs, with substantial returns among disadvantaged families. At its height in 2010, total expenditure on Sure Start was approximately £2.5 billion in current prices. The programme's benefits in reducing the government cost of SEN support compensated for about 8% of this cost. It's estimated that for every £1 the government invested in Sure Start, children who attended gained £1.09 in terms of their lifetime earnings, solely due to improved school outcomes.
These findings underscore the importance of early intervention and holistic family support in shaping children's futures. It also highlight the need for adequate funding and resources to ensure the effectiveness of such programmes. At Babyzone we know that well-designed and well-funded interventions promote child development and we do this through holistic family support. International evidence, alongside this report, shows that our efforts yield important individual and societal benefits.
At Babyzone, we are firmly committed to advocating for similar initiatives that prioritise early childhood development. We believe that every child, regardless of their background, deserves the best start in life.
We are growing and as we look to the future, we aim to open a Babyzone in every OnSide Youth Zone to ensure that more families have access to the support they need and don’t need to travel long distances to benefit.
Babyzone is a network of 'one-stop shops', which brings together a range of services to support local families with the aim of enhancing the development and life chances of children under 5. Follow our progress by [signing up](https://share-eu1.hsforms.com/1vneg2jspr5c3b2ebw289jw2b57kc) to our weekly newsletter.
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Supporting families through early years with expert guidance, resources, and community connection. Every child deserves the best start in life.
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### Quick Links
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### Contact Us
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Scale Space, 58 Wood Lane, London, W12 7RZ
Babyzone is a registered charity in England and Wales (1198316) and in Scotland (SC054355)
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