The national annual conference for children's centre leaders and partners - held at New Connaught Rooms, London

A further £7m funding was announced in March for extra children's centre outreach workers in the most disadvantaged areas as well as more training and guidance on working with black and minority ethnic families. This followed the “modest” but positive results of the National Sure Start Evaluation that children with access to Sure Start were better behaved and more independent, their parents providing better home learning and they had more access to support services locally. Moving towards the goal of 3,500 children's centres by 2010 and universal coverage, Sure Start Children's Centres are a key plank in delivering the government's Every Child Matters agenda and the ten-year strategy for childcare with access to affordable, flexible, high quality child care. This annual conference provided those leading the way in providing high quality children's services through Sure Start Children's Centres with the opportunity to come together and share how they are improving outcomes for disadvantaged children.