The charity 4Children has called on councils to help parents and Sure Start centres to make the most of volunteers.

Sue Robb, 4Children's head of early years, welcomed a recent Department for Education discussion paper on increasing community support in centres and suggested local authorities drew up volunteer support programmes. ‘A locally-available volunteer support programme – designed to ensure centres get the most from their volunteers, and that volunteers get the most from their work – would bolster community engagement,' she said.