Gateshead councillors have urged the Government for more funding to improve the lives of families and children.
The local authority will receive around £3m to fund family hubs and early life support for children over the next three years. This is part of a £301m central Government fund.
The fund is managed by the Department for Health and Social Care and the Department for Education.
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The money will go towards fostering positive relationships between parents and their newborns, infant feeding help and supporting infant learning in the home.
However, despite the funding, some councillors feel the money is a poor replacement for Sure Start centres and previous levels of funding. Sure Start centres provided education and support for families and young children, particularly in disadvantaged areas.
According to The Mirror, 1,292 Sure Start centres were closed by 2020 after funding was cut by the Conservative government.
Coun Malcolm Brain said: "In moments of generosity I have defended New Labour's record on certain matters. These include saving the NHS, the national minimum wage, peace in Northern Ireland, and Sure Start. I would rank Sure Start with those other three as major achievements.
"As we know, the current Government has butchered it and let's not pretend the crumbs we have been thrown here in any way go towards putting right the damage that has been done.
"£3m over two years is nowhere what used to be spent in this borough on the Sure Start alone and it's for less than half of the upper-tier local authorities in the country. Most local authorities are getting nothing. It is a pathetic excuse for what this Government has already done to one of the most essential services local government provides."
Leader of the council, Martin Gannon said: "I welcome it, it is fabulous, and I applaud the work done by dedicated people within local authorities not just in Gateshead but in other authorities, but its grossly underfunded.
"Local government is absolutely crippled in trying to do the task of supporting families."
A Government spokesperson said: “We are investing £300m in 75 local authorities in England through the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme to improve outcomes for thousands of babies, children, and families.
“This is a far more comprehensive offer than its predecessor Sure Start ensuring families can access wide-ranging support not just for the early years, but until their children turn 19, or 25 if they have special educational needs or disabilities.”
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