Essex County Council has closed more children’s centres than any other local authority in England since 2010, UNISON research published today shows.
The closures have devastated communities and left vulnerable families without access to vital education and health support, says the union.
Freedom of Information (FoI) requests reveal that over a third (38%) of council-run children’s centres in England have closed since 2010 when the government implemented austerity measures and slashed councils’ financial support.
There were at least 3,106 council-run children’s centres across England in 2010/11. But hard-up local authorities had locked the doors of 1,168 centres by the end of March 2023, the union’s figures show.
Essex topped that list, shutting 74 centres — nearly 90% of the 86 open in 2010/11 — followed by Hampshire (70) and Surrey (39).
Across authorities in the east of England that replied to FoI requests, 165 of the 374 council-run centres were lost in the period.
Children’s centres play a crucial role in early-years education, and provide working families with childcare, health support and parenting advice.
But the mass closure of council-run centres, and the loss of specialist staff, have left many vulnerable families unable to access vital early-years support.
The data is being released today at UNISON’s annual local government conference in Brighton.
But councils’ latest FoI disclosures do not cover further cuts to children and family services – including early help centres – planned over the next two years at struggling authorities such as Birmingham and Derbyshire, says UNISON.
A separate local government staff survey by UNISON highlights the devastating impact that austerity measures – including children’s centre job cuts – have had on some of the UK’s most vulnerable children and parents.
Staff report a surge in health and mental health issues among children and parents, child learning and speech difficulties, soaring referrals to social services, and a worrying lack of preparedness for school among children – including basic toilet training.
UNISON Eastern head of local government Alex Porter said: “Every region of England has closed vast numbers of council-run children’s centres but Essex has the ignominy of closing more than anyone else.
“Children’s centres are the lifeblood of local communities. They support working and vulnerable parents, and they provide essential education and developmental support to the nation’s children from birth to school age and beyond.
“This research has exposed the harsh reality of centres closing. From leaving vulnerable families in deprived areas and isolated communities beyond the reach of support teams, to cutting the specialist staff who prevent at-risk children from being taken into care.
“Cuts to these crucial services merely create more problems and costs for the future. Ministers and council leaders should invest in children’s centres as part of wider plans to stabilise council finances and provide a boost to parents and youngsters.”
The cuts in your area
| Council | Open in 2010/11 | Closed by 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Bedford Borough | 16 | 0 |
| Cambridgeshire | 38 | 15 |
| Central Beds | 22 | 4 |
| Essex | 86 | 74 |
| Hertfordshire | 82 | 1 |
| Norfolk | 53 | 38 |
| Peterborough | 15 | 8 |
| Southend | 14 | 5 |
| Suffolk | 48 | 20 |
| Total | 374 | 165 |
NB Luton Council has been removed from the analysis due to data quality and Thurrock Council did not respond to UNISON’s FoI request.