Government announces new Sure Start projects

The government is investing almost £200 million over the
next four years in young children in deprived areas in England by
establishing 85 new Sure Start projects.

Projects are starting up in areas in the east Midlands, the East
of England, London, the north east, the north west, the south east,
the south west, the west Midlands and Yorkshire and Humber.

The sixth wave of the government’s inter-departmental
programme will see the total number of Sure Start schemes operating
increase to 522 by summer next year. It will surpass the
government’s target of 500 Sure Start projects by 2004, and
means the programme is on track to help 400,000 children over the
next two years, including up to a third of all under fours living
in poverty.

Public health minister Yvette Cooper said: “Sure Start is
already making a real difference in helping break the cycle that
keeps people trapped in poverty – each month Sure Start are
reaching 6,000 children who haven’t been contacted
before.”