COUNCIL chiefs are likely to approve a detailed plan to enhance the quality of life for young children and their families in the Darlington area.

Under Government regulations, local authorities are obliged to draw up proposals to ensure every parent has access to quality childcare, education and health services for their children.

The SureStart plan produced by Darlington Borough Council outlines a series of targets that officials hope to meet over the next two years.

Councillors are expected to support the plan when they meet on Thursday.

A priority of the scheme will be the provision of more childcare facilities in the borough, removing a significant barrier to parents returning to work.

Over the past three years, 245 day care places were created in Darlington's neighourhood nurseries.

The SureStart blueprint includes proposals for the provision of a further 503 childcare places, including 110 places within new children's centres.

Northgate and Park East neighbourhood nurseries are to become children's centres, as will the SureStart centre in Mount Pleasant.

A children's centre - a facility offering a nursery, as well as ante-natal services, family support and links to JobCentre Plus - will also be established in the Eastbourne ward.

Similar services are to be developed on the Red Hall estate and in the Bank Top and Lascelles areas of the town.

Council education director Geoff Pennington said: "As well as enabling young children to reach their potential and giving parents the chance to return to work, these reforms have wider, more long-term implications.

"The provision of accessible health services, particularly for families in deprived areas, providing support and information on issues such as breast-feeding, cot death and smoking cessation, will reduce health inequalities within the borough.

"Comprehensive and high-quality early years provision will encourage a love of learning in young children, which in turn will help raise educational achievement in our schools."

Darlington Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership is also setting up its own children's information service, which comes into effect on Thursday, April 1.

A recruitment drive by the partnership is also planned, in conjunction with JobCentre Plus, careers service Connexions and Darlington College of Technology.