PLANS to offer improved childcare and education for youngsters in deprived parts of Worcestershire over the next two years are set to be approved.

The county council's cabinet will discuss on Thursday key features it wants to improve during the development of the Sure Start scheme up until 2006.

The authority wants the £6.6m budget focused on areas including securing free part-time early education places for all three and four-year-olds, creating new childcare places and recruiting childcare staff from minority groups.

Under the proposals, the county's four Sure Start local programmes - in Worcester, Droitwich, Wyre Forest and Redditch - will all be expanded into children's centres offering a wide range of services including childcare, family support and help finding jobs.