Sure Start

Note: The Sure Start program was not responsive to the CEBC's request for information about their program. The following information was obtained from publicly available sources (websites, articles, etc.).

Scientific Rating:
3
Promising Practice
See scale of 1-6

Relevance to Child Welfare Rating:
2
Medium
See scale of 1-3

Child Welfare Outcomes: Safety and Well-Being

Brief Description:

Sure Start has been rated by the CEBC in the area of Home Visiting. Sure Start is a program of multiple early childhood interventions aimed at children from 0 to 3 years in disadvantaged communities. Sure Start Local Programs (SSLPs) do not adhere to a prescribed model, but rather are tailored to the specific needs of the community. However, all SSLPs provide core services including home visiting, family support, support for quality childcare and early education, healthcare, and advice about child and family development. This is achieved through community partnerships with local health, social and education services, the private sector, volunteers, and parents. The UK has also implemented Sure Start Plus, a version of the program with additional services aimed at pregnant teens and young parents under 18.

Manual and Training section:
The publicly available information indicates that there is a manual and some training available for the Sure Start program, please telephone the Early Years Extended School and Special Needs Group at 011-44-870-0002288 or email them at info@dcsf.gsi.gov.uk.

Relevant Published, Peer-Reviewed Research:
Sure Start "3-Promising Research Evidence" on the Scientific Rating Scale based on the published, peer-reviewed research available. The practice must have at least one study utilizing some form of control (e.g., untreated group, placebo group, matched wait list) establishing the practice's benefit over the placebo, or found it to be comparable to or better than an appropriate comparison practice. For more information on the rating of a "3 - Promising Research Evidence," please see the Scientific Rating Scale.

Belsky, J., Mehuish, E., Barnes, J., Leyland, A.H., & Romaniuk, H. (2006). Effects of Sure Start local programmes on children and families: Early findings from a quasi-experimental, cross sectional study. British Medical Journal, 332, 1476-1481.
Type of Study: Non-randomized comparison group
Number of participants: Intervention: 12,575 9-month-olds, 3927 36-month-olds. Comparison: 1509 9-month-olds, 1101 36-month-olds.

Population:
Age Range: Children aged 9 months or 36 months at the beginning of the study
Race/Ethnicity: Intervention: 73.2% White, 5.1% mixed, 1.5% Indian, 7.3% Pakistani, 3.2% Bangladeshi, 1.4% Black Caribbean, 4.6% Other Black, 3.7% Other/Unknown. Comparison: 63.9% White, 6.2% mixed, 2.5% Indian, 8.7% Pakistani, 5.2% Bangladeshi, 1.7% Black Caribbean, 6.2% Other Black, 5.6% Other/Unknown.
Status (e.g., foster care, CW): All families with children at the given time were eligible
Location/Institution: United Kingdom
Summary: (To include comparison groups, outcomes, measures, notable limitations) Due to government restrictions, the evaluation could not use a true, randomized design. Sure Start participants were recruited from 150 randomly selected local programs. Comparison families were recruited from an area where Sure Start had not yet been implemented. Mothers or guardians participated in a computer-assisted interview during a home visit, which covered use of community services, family functioning, and child health and development. Children were also assessed with standardized measures of cognitive and linguistic functioning. Results showed some small intervention effects on family functioning for some groups. Mothers of 9-month-olds reported less household chaos, and mothers of older children reported more parental acceptance. Intervention families reported less negative parenting, except in the case of teen-age mothers. For children of 36 months, the intervention was associated with fewer behavior problems, unless the mother was a teenager, in which case the effect was reversed. Statistical tests suggested that the effects of the program were mediated by its influence on parenting. The authors suggest that more socially deprived families such as those with single parents or teen mothers might find the home visits stressful.
Length of post-intervention follow-up: None

Carpenter, J., Brown, S., Griffin, M. (2007). Prevention in integrated services: The impact of Sure Start on referrals to social services and child protection registrations. Child Abuse Review, 16, 17-31.
Type of Study: Pretest/Posttest
Number of participants: 4 social service authorities

Population:
Age Range: Children under 4
Race/Ethnicity: Not provided
Status (e.g., foster care, CW): N/A
Location/Institution: England

Summary: (To include comparison groups, outcomes, measures, notable limitations) This study compared the number of referrals for social services and child protection reports before and after introduction of Sure Start in 4 areas. Referral data was provided by the child welfare authority for each area. The results indicated that there were no consistent trends in number of referrals either before or after the intervention. Interviews with staff members suggested that the possible effects the intervention on referrals might be complex, with some aspects of the program leading to increases in referrals as needs are discovered and some aspects leading to decreases in referrals due to use of services for prevention.
Length of post-intervention follow-up: None

References:
Anning, A., Ball, M., Barnes, J., Belsky, J., Botting, B., Frost, M., Kurtz, Z., Leyland, A, Meadows, P., Melhuish, E., and Tunstill, J. (2004). The national evaluation of Sure Start Local Programmes in England. Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 9(1), 2-8.

Wiggins, M., Rosato, M., Austerberry, H., Sawtell, M., & Olver, S. (2005). Sure Start Plus. National Evaluation, final report. Social Science Research Unit, Institute of Education. University of London.

Contact Information
Name: Early Years Extended Schools and Special Needs Group
Affiliation/Agency: Department for Children, Schools, and Families
Phone: 011-44-870-0002288
E-mail: info@dcsf.gsi.gov.uk

Date review compiled: April 2008