The National Evaluation of Sure Start

This book reviews the history of policies pertaining to child health and well-being which preceded and set the stage for Sure Start. It provides insight into how SSLPs were expected to function and how they actually operated, both in terms of their strengths, weaknesses and costs. It also demonstrates their impact on children, families and communities, shedding light on the variation in impact and the causes for it. With a foreword from Naomi Eisenstadt, former Director of the Sure Start Programme and concluding chapter by Professor Sir Michael Rutter, member of the government's scientific advisory board overseeing NESS, this book provides an insightful critique of SSLP policy and NESS that will be of interest to students of child development, families and communities, as well as policymakers and policy scholars, local and national providers of services to children and families and evaluation specialists.