***anyone with a child in a Sure Start / Children's Centre nursery PLEASE READ***

[popscene]

I have heard rumours from friends who work in local council / childcare (and they are only rumours ATM) that 14 Sure Start centres could be closing in my local area. The cuts are due to be announced in the next couple of months, so I don't know anything definite yet.

My children attend a Sure Start nursery and I'm very worried we will be left with no childcare if our centre shuts. Waiting lists for nursery places are very long round here.

Is anyone else worried about this? Or has anyone heard anything about Sure Start nursery cuts?

I don't think they will close but funding may be changed so that they would have to be more self reliant, using either charitiies or charging norminal fees for courses/activities.

The nurseries already charge for most of their childcare places, although they're slightly cheaper than the private nurseries where we are. I don't think they make a profit though, or at least any profit goes back into running the centre.

Most sure start daycare ( not all but many) are heavily subsidised by the local authority. This is through grants or paying some wages or not charging rent etc.

This means theybsubsidise the daycare in a sure start but not in another day nursery. This is deemed unfair and they knew it had to end in April 2011. As a result many are unviable unless they put up fees.

There is a different issue about the removal of the ring fencing on the sure start funding which may mean that las have to cut some or all services at surestart centres.

Las have to focus there reduced resources on the most vulnerable and decide if that is old people, respite card for disabled children, sure start etc

It's a hard choice