Dame Clare Tickell calls for clarity on Early Intervention Grant

Welcoming Sir Merrick Cockell's letter to Sir Michael Gove on changes to the Early Intervention Grant, Action for Children Chief Executive Dame Clare Tickell said:

"The Government has shown a strong commitment to early intervention - It's vital that this is not undermined. The uncertainty about the future of the Early Intervention Grant is potentially disastrous for local services which would be unable to plan confidently for the future.

We're seeing the number of families coming to our children's centres needing help rising - when they are already stretched as it is. If we don't act now we'll have even greater problems to support when we have even less money to do something about it - a perfect storm.

"We know that children's centres work and that they provide proven benefits to the tax payer - but without the backing of the Early Intervention Grant, local authorities are going to be forced to make impossible choices with even tighter budgets. "