Mothers fight plan to scrap baby care at children's centre

Mothers fight plan to scrap baby care at children's centre

Anna Davis, Education Correspondent
05.10.10

Mothers in Lambeth have launched a campaign to save nursery places for babies at a children's centre.

Parents are protesting against plans to move Kennington Park Children's Centre to the grounds of a nearby school, and proposals to remove the provision of childcare for babies up to the age of two because the centre is not "financially viable".
Parents also fear there would be no community midwife at the new centre if it was relocated to the Henry Fawcett primary school and claim that the consultation over the move was a sham.
Trudy Lister from Streatham, whose two-year-old daughter has been attending the nursery since she was six months, said: "Nursery places are hard to find in the first place and a lot of parents are upset at the loss of places for children under the age of two. The children's centre has been here for 15 years. It has got a good reputation so if it is not broken why fix it?"
Another mother, Charlotte Brooks, said: "Lambeth does not seem to appreciate the value of the service offered by Kennington Park Children's Centre. They should be looking to invest in this service, not to diminish it. Children don't just arrive at the age of two."
Pete Robbins, Lambeth council cabinet member for the Children and Young People's Service, said: "The centre is not closing but one of the options under consideration is a move of services to Henry Fawcett School.
"This option is being considered to ensure the long-term financial sustainability of the Children's Centre and to ensure it is more accessible for vulnerable families in the catchment area. If the Children's Centre moves to the school, childcare for under twos would be provided by childminders."

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23884775-mothers-fight-plan-to-scrap-baby-care-at-childrens-centre.do