Two Oxfordshire family centres have been praised by the Government.

Rose Hill and Littlemore Sure Start Family Centre and the Activities Childcare and Education centre (Ace) in Chipping Norton are among just 35 organisations in the UK to become designated Children's Centres.

The new status recognises the work of the centres and will mean an increase in funding.

They will be regarded as models for how other children's centres across the country should be developed.

Rose Hill and Littlemore Sure Start was named among the best examples of a complete early years service.

Director Tan Lea said: "Becoming a Children's Centre at this early stage is a significant recognition for us. It also increases our funding by £25,000.

"It will allow us to further extend and develop our work.

"We will be spending it mostly on outreach services to let people know what's on offer.

"It also means we can now work with children up to five, whereas previously it was up to four."

A spokesman for the Ace centre said: "We will have the same services here, but will have a lot more health services, linking up with health visitors to run clinics."

Announcing the awards, Education Secretary Charles Clarke said: "The centres we have identified today are the starting point for the network that we want to see spread across the country."

Children's minister Margaret Hodge added that good early years' services reduced the likelihood of children having special educational needs at school.