One of the sure start staff was telling me about it in detail, they were given the full decisions at the end of July
Basically, sure start is to be replaced by family centres but more downsized than they are now with a much reduced budget
Probably about 20% of the staff currently employed by sure start. Their remit will be correspondingly reduced so the children that have benefitted over the past few years, won't be able to continue to access the services. It is already being reduced in that staff that leave are not being replaced, from October they will start to make cuts and Surestart as it exists now will be gone in March 2007
I think its a disgrace, surestart has done a great deal of good, I know the nearest area to me had to work very hard to build up trust with the parents and they will now feel the rug has been pulled from under them. And there has been absolutely no public consultation, in fact, I can find very little in the news about it, its all rather sneaky IMO. Of course, surestart is most accessed by mums, particularly mums on a low income or on benefit - they don't have a lot of political clout
But the families of today who were helped by surestart, are the adults in 2 or 3 decades who aren't accessing the NHS for resources because of years of unhealthy living, who aren't on benefits with no visible skills because Sure Start helped their parents with diet information, health care, support and with training
But hey, the government aren't thinking that far ahead are they?
I am really disgusted by this, its such a shame that this programme is being removed, its done so much good, and provided such a good foundation
\link{http://www.thisislancashire.co.uk/news/localnews/display.var.846398.0.parents_blast_over_child_care _changes.php\this is all I could find newswise}
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Did you know that Surestart is closing down?
3 replies
tillykins · 19/08/2006 17:29
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