A GROUNDBREAKING blueprint intended to transform children's services has been given the go-ahead by councillors.

During a planning meeting on Wednesday, St Helens Council approved plans for the children's centre to be based at District C E Primary School.

The purpose-built development, will be the first in the town, it will remodel early years support for families with a strong impetus on health and education.

Meanwhile, a wide range of additional facilities will be catered for under one roof making child support more accessible on a daily basis.

Day care 10 hours a day, five days a week will be available for working parents, as well as ante and post natal support for new mums.

A bank of childminders will be located on site accompanied by play activities to strengthen learning, and opportunities for adult education, links to Job Centre Plus and counselling sessions.

Clr Suzanne Knight said: "I'm extremely pleased we are getting the children's centre in Newton as we've always missed out on Sure Start facilities here and I know it will be welcomed by a lot of young families supporting youngsters until aged four."

Once completed in the summer the building will be open from 6.30am to 8pm Monday to Friday and flexible hours at weekends.

It is part of a national programme being rolled out throughout the country's 20 most deprived wards, expected to provide an extensive support network for 650,000 youngsters starting their education by 2006.

To accommodate the new development, parking will be increased from 28 to 44 spaces and will create disabled access.