2008 looks a bit gloomy wouldn't you say? Gordon's doing his best to kick us off with large dose of gloom as if we need it in January. Us workers we can all look forward to an inflation limiting (he hopes) three year deal pay deal whilst utility prices and other stuff shoots up.
Sorry! Ok, so we're in for an economic slowdown. I don't think it will make much difference to most of our parents and children down at the Leveller's Children's Centre - they'll still be skint.
Sometimes I think we forget what the purpose of Sure Start was. Remember - eliminate child poverty within a generation. Ed Balls has won deserved plaudits for reaffirming the government's commitment to ending child poverty by 2020. Unfortunately for Ed if things remain as they are I think he's being totally unrealistic. Most Children's Centres I come across don't seem to have much idea how to support parents getting back in to the workplace, in fact some don't bother and some actively dissapprove of the idea. A NESS (National Evaluation of Sure Start) research report (2004) into the effectivesness of Sure Start programmes work to support parents into work and training concluded that:
'The emphasis given to support for employability by programmes reflects different local perceptions about the appropriate role for mothers in the early years. In many Sure Start areas there is a strong community emphasis on the importance of mothers being at home in their children’s early years.'
And,
'The proportion of parents taking part in employment and training activities, even in the most active and encouraging programmes, is low.'
Unfotunately many Children's Centres have a strong distaste for welfare to work schemes, and tend to deal with the immediate problems a family faces rather then guiding parents that are able towards employment or vocational training.
In addition data on inequalities published last year by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation showed that inequality of income is has increased rapidly during the 10 years of Labour government, and is now at its highest for 40 years. As says Kate Green, Chief Exec of the Child Poverty Action Group, says:
'The research portrays a deeply concerning picture of two Britains, one with ever growing wealth and the other stuck in poverty, living side by side but having little to do with each other. Children born in poverty have very poor chances of becoming part of wealthy Britain in their lifetime.'
This causes me to ask: Do Children's Centres actually stand any chance of meeting the objective of reducing child poverty in the face of such powerful macro-economic forces?
The extra £4 billion announced for Sure Start in the August 2007 spending review will help, if local authorities can begin to actively guide Children's Centres towards commissioning training and employment projects over more popular projects such as parent pampering sessions. Lets get it in perspective though - in November 2006, Goldman Sachs announced profits of $9.5 billion, a large portion of which was shared between the company's 24,000 staff.
What the leveller thinks is needed is a change in taxation policy - lower tax rates for the low waged, to really incentivise them to seek work. For instance, lets face it if people didn't pay tax on the first £15,000 of salary a lot more people would be motivated to take low paid work, including childcare - there's a thought! Gordon's stingy pay proposals wouldn't look so mean then.