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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

The appalling state of Children's Centres

117 replies

Pumkinpiecrazy · 03/10/2025 18:05

My niece is due to have a baby next month. I offered to take her to Baby Weigh at the Children's centre in the early weeks. I said I'd have a look and find where her local Children's centre was.

I'm really appaled at the state of the service now. When mine were little we had multiple groups per day at our local centre, courses, groups for school children in the holidays, I know they did a lot of outreach too.

Baby weigh is now by appointment once a month at the library. The local centre has a couple of drop in sessions per week for older babies/toddlers. There is a baby group but realistically too far away for her to access.

It's such a shame. In my time we had a world class service to massively benefit children. I remember the figures on how breast feeding had increased in our area due to the fantastic support group. But the Tories have destroyed it all.

Is it the same in your area?
Am I being unreasonable that this is a very sad state of affairs.

OP posts:
Original poster
Pumkinpiecrazy · 04/10/2025 21:38

RubySquid · 03/10/2025 18:42

It was never obligatory. My eldest is mid 30s but after first few weeks I didn't bother. Youngest I didn't take at all (21)

Dgc never been taken once HV signed them off at 10 days

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I know it wasn't obligatory but it was provided none the less and really helped mums like me who had no support.

OP posts:
Original poster
Pumkinpiecrazy · 04/10/2025 21:39

RubySquid · 03/10/2025 18:45

Aren't they just in deprived areas? One of myDDs asked about them. But apparently she is in An ok Postcode so doesn't qualufy

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That was the great thing about Children's centres they were open to all so there was no stigma.

OP posts:
Squishydishy · 04/10/2025 21:40

My local childrens centre is exactly as you described - lots of drop in classes and sessions for all age groups. Live in a very mixed area with some real poverty (outer London) so perhaps that’s the reason we have funding

Original poster
Pumkinpiecrazy · 04/10/2025 21:43

HoskinsChoice · 03/10/2025 20:38

Labour have been in power for well over a year. Presumably they have already reinstated them or at least have plans to?

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Someone up thread mentioned a pilot scheme. A year isn't enough time to set up the infrastructure that was there before. These were state of the art centres that can't just be reopened because they have been taken over often by the schools that they were joined to. Are you aware of the previous provision? To suggest within a year that could all be reinstated is ridiculous!

OP posts:
Original poster
Pumkinpiecrazy · 04/10/2025 21:46

GreatBigShaz · 03/10/2025 22:09

The funding for Surestart was cut under David Cameron, it was a disgraceful, short sighted move. In my local area we fought to keep ours open, and kind of won, but then it got run down to a tiny skeleton service over time. We'd had an amazing team of staff who made sure they included everyone who came to sessions, and offered all sorts of activities for parents and children, sessions for child minders, help with return to work, parenting courses, and really valuable targeted work with families with serious challenges. We had a thriving friends of/parent forum. We've got a Family Hub now, but it is nothing like what we did have.

This is what happened to our local one. And probably most of them. It was absolutely disgraceful.

OP posts:
Original poster
Pumkinpiecrazy · 04/10/2025 21:47

thecatfromneptune · 03/10/2025 22:10

The children’s centres and Sure Start were all being dismantled by the Tories when I had DD thirteen years ago - what had been a great resource was completely cut and in our area ceased to exist completely. There was still a HV and a baby clinic each week at my GP practice when DD was born, but shortly afterwards this was cut and moved five miles away and the HV service was massively reduced. I’m not sure it even exists at all in my area any more, which is pretty shocking.

We’ve kind of forgotten all the things we had as public snd community services even a very short time ago, and then we wonder why everyone is so depressed and angry at the dilapidated, rootless Britain we currently live in. Even fifteen years ago things were really different.

Absolutely. There was a time things felt innovative and on the up.

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Original poster
Pumkinpiecrazy · 04/10/2025 21:50

ForwardLook · 03/10/2025 22:12

My eldest is only mid teens but there was loads about including weekly baby weigh in clinics when he was little. I was quite isolated so I used them to do something along with sure start centres.

I suppose it may not have been a great use of resources in some ways but keeping me sane and not using the NHS in any other way may have saved money in other ways.

I help run a once a week free baby group which a charity pay for. It’s definitely welcomed by many and we “help” just by listening and offering a cup of tea.

Although I’m in a relatively well off area, not everyone has endless funds to pay for private baby groups nor loads of friends in the same boat. It’s very isolating for mothers now which I can lead to other issues. It’s very sad.

That's the things all the mothers that now don't get that help, all the babies that don't get the support...the knock on effect is onto mental health services...and as we know they have been cut to the bone too!

OP posts:
Original poster
Pumkinpiecrazy · 04/10/2025 21:51

Overthebow · 03/10/2025 22:21

I think it depends where you are in the country. In my area there are still children’s centres. There’s a few close to me and they all have weekly weighing drop ins, breastfeeding drop ins, baby groups for pre-walkers and toddlers, groups for SEN children and their families and groups for young mothers too. All free. I was in maternity leave a year ago and did a mix of the free baby group and paid ones.

Edited

That's good to know. Hopefully we'll get something back here.

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Halloweengaul · 04/10/2025 21:52

Things have changed so much since I had my first.
With first there was a weekly weigh in clinic at the local health centre so could take dd when ever we felt like checking her weight. With first son it was same has dd then we went into lock down. Everything changed and it's doesn't seem to have gone back to normal.
In last 4 years I had 2 more children and they only time they have been weighed is at health visitor checks so 8 weeks, 1 year, 2 year, 3 year.

Original poster
Pumkinpiecrazy · 04/10/2025 21:53

NettleandBramble · 03/10/2025 22:31

I was never able to use the children's centres because our area, though in a deprived northern town was not deemed to be deprived enough.
The trouble was because the centres existed they were the only things running baby and toddler groups in our town so I was terribly isolated.
I feel a bit bah humbug about the whole thing as it was a horrible lonely time and I didn't really manage to meet anyone else with babies to form friendships with until my eldest was 1.

Edited

That's odd. The whole point of children's centres were that they weren't just in deprived areas and were accessible to all. When was this?

OP posts:
Original poster
Pumkinpiecrazy · 04/10/2025 21:55

Paledown · 03/10/2025 22:50

I'm in a London borough and the Children's Centres are pretty good here, although not as good as 20+ years ago. There are 5 centres in the borough and there are 10-15 sessions running on every weekday across all of them (for different needs/ages). Sessions for breastfeeding, under 1s, under 2s, under 5s, SEND. So on any weekday there will be a session suitable for your child nearby. Plus there are one o' clock clubs, libraries and a ton of lower cost groups, and lots of paid groups and classes, soft play, toddler sessions at museums etc. I never ran out of places to go with my baby!

At my GP surgery there was a weekly session for baby weighing, but I found it a hassle and just used my own scales at home most of the time.

I've always loved the sound of the one o clock clubs!

OP posts:
Original poster
Pumkinpiecrazy · 04/10/2025 21:58

HeyThereDelila · 04/10/2025 06:42

Where have you been? The Tories shut most Sure Start centres then slashed Council funding to the bone. Hardly anywhere even has a Children’s centre anymore, much less a high quality one.

Not hanging around Children's centres! I suppose it only really hit me when I was searching for things for my niece and realised how slim the current provision is.

OP posts:
Anon501178 · 04/10/2025 22:00

YANBU....I work in them and have done since the early 2000s, and have also attended regularly with my children over the past 8 years or so, so sadly have witnessed the decline.
With DD1 I was up there several times a week, there were groups every day, which was a godsend as a first time mum, and longer back they used to do baby signing, baby yoga, baby massage etc....groups were often full!
Now they have a very sparse offer.....ours anyway (east of england) and are not being used to their potential or maintained very well at all! Which is so sad to see having seen them at their heyday. Some have closed or are barely open much of the week now.Sadly the Conservative government killed alot of it but its a shame Labour haven't put more back into it....they seem more fussed now about getting mothers back into work 30hrs/week after 9mths than making it easier for them to spend time with their babies and toddlers :(

Original poster
Pumkinpiecrazy · 04/10/2025 22:03

LetMeGoogleThat · 04/10/2025 09:08

When Michael Gove became Education minister he slashed and burned the entire programme. Whilst some LAs were able to divert funding into the centres, not all were. The Conservative rationale for this was that were being accessed by yummy mummies and were not supporting the demographic intended. He was wrong and refused to listen to the evidence that this was how you create social mobility and remove stigma of accessing support.to make it worse, he then proceeded to cancel the EPPE project, a world class study led by Oxford uni into outcomes linked to quality early years provision. It would have proved he was wrong.

Exactly!' That was what was so genius about them!

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FancyCatSlave · 04/10/2025 22:04

Really great facilities here in a Conservative stronghold. It’s an affluent area though.

I opted for 4 days inpatient stay for breastfeeding support at a maternity unit (after hospital birth), weekly drop in sessions, and the local family hub had loads on.

CopperWhite · 04/10/2025 22:18

Easy access to a heath visitor and sessions where you can weigh the baby and ask about feeding or whatever are a valuable service that society should provide for young babies, but beyond that, I don’t think we need to go back to the days of shiny children’s centres who run multiple free groups a day for Mums who have nothing better do to.

Support networks for parents of young children are important, but they don’t need to be provided by the state.

NettleandBramble · 04/10/2025 22:31

Pumkinpiecrazy · 04/10/2025 21:53

That's odd. The whole point of children's centres were that they weren't just in deprived areas and were accessible to all. When was this?

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2003

bessie34 · 04/10/2025 22:40

I think it depends where you live, the ones in our area don’t do quite as many groups as they used to but still do a good range for the different ages, excellent quality too, actually better than the private baby sensory classes paid for

Bushmillsbabe · 04/10/2025 22:50

The London borough where I work used to have about 15 children's centres with various groups and services. However, the (labour) council cut a few a couple years ago, and now are consulting on closing a few more - if they get their way will be down to about 6. Same for the London borough I live it.

SisterMargaretta · 04/10/2025 23:00

VikaOlson · 03/10/2025 18:29

Have you forgotten Austerity? The Tories got rid of Sure Start as soon as they could.

I remember the huge reduction in services between DC1 born in 2009 and DC2 in 2012. The difference - two years of Austerity "We're all in it together". Seems things have not improved at all.

Original poster
Pumkinpiecrazy · 04/10/2025 23:11

CopperWhite · 04/10/2025 22:18

Easy access to a heath visitor and sessions where you can weigh the baby and ask about feeding or whatever are a valuable service that society should provide for young babies, but beyond that, I don’t think we need to go back to the days of shiny children’s centres who run multiple free groups a day for Mums who have nothing better do to.

Support networks for parents of young children are important, but they don’t need to be provided by the state.

Are you aware of the massive amount of outreach work they did for the most vulnerable? Or the way they increased breastfeeding rates? And so much more. The groups are literally just one part of what they did. I don't think the state can afford to not provide these things.

OP posts:
Original poster
Pumkinpiecrazy · 04/10/2025 23:12

NettleandBramble · 04/10/2025 22:31

2003

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Ah, maybe that was when they were first being set up.

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Spinmerightroundbaby · 04/10/2025 23:30

mamagogo1 · 03/10/2025 18:14

the medical team will make arrangements for weighing if required, but it rarely is necessary once feeding is established - my medical team for my second were completely confused when I asked about weighing, simply doesn’t happen weekly there, instead you have an appointment before discharge from the hospital, another at 2 weeks then another at 8, all at the health centre, seems to work fine.

sure start centres were cut under the previous government and as you aware, councils have had their funding cut to the bone

Are you concerned about the lack of weigh ins or mother and baby groups? I wasn’t sure. Personally, I think weigh ins are overrated. I think you can generally do it at home but usually common sense can tell you if baby is growing - they grow out of clothes at the expected rate. I appreciate I’m probably in the minority but never bothered weighing any of my children as babies as I could see they were growing from how heavy they felt and from clothing sizes required.

edit: I didn’t see your follow ups until after I posted. I see you are talking about wider support etc.

CopperWhite · 05/10/2025 00:34

Pumkinpiecrazy · 04/10/2025 23:11

Are you aware of the massive amount of outreach work they did for the most vulnerable? Or the way they increased breastfeeding rates? And so much more. The groups are literally just one part of what they did. I don't think the state can afford to not provide these things.

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It can afford to though. Children lucky enough to have been very young during the Children’s Centres short glory years are not the only children to have thrived.

Nowadays, more parents need to work so use childcare, and if there are concerns about the child’s development, they can be supported by nurseries.

TheatricalLife · 05/10/2025 00:56

Services were pretty shite in my area in the Cotswolds when I had my two in the early 2000s. I had zero help with breastfeeding, to the point that I gave up, no local baby groups, getting the baby weighed was a 3 minute dash in and out at the local GP (no chance of chats with anyone) I actually never had my 8 week check up after birth as there were no appointments at all for weeks on end and it was just pointless. I remember being on the phone to try and book one and they just basically said 'oh well, what can we do? There is nothing, you do need a check but we have nothing so 🤷‍♀️'. I also had PND and the health visitor left me a REALLY nasty voicemail as I was 3 minutes late to an appointment....because her office was upstairs and I was stuck in the building elevator. Never heard from her again after that appointment, was left to just cope with PND on my own.
I can't imagine what it's like for new mums now if it's worse than it was. What a shitshow.

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