OUTRAGE has greeted plans to transfer the responsibility of children’s centres to schools and childcare providers.
Coun Peter McDonald, leader of the Worcestershire Labour Group, said the authority was going back to the bad old days of the 1990s, after the county council approved the plans.
He dubbed the decision a devastating blow and predicted it would eventually mean the closure of several of the centres.
The proposals will change the way 18 of these centres are used from December 1 and responsibility for several of the buildings will be passed on, to cut costs to the local authority. The decision was made after 440 consultation responses were analysed.
Coun McDonald said: “This is a devastating blow for the community. The Government should be treating these centres the same way they do the NHS and schools because the services they offer are essential.
“It is just a matter of time until majority of them will be closed. Funding for them should come from central government.”
The county council has decided to invest £30,000 to help support the future delivery of the activities held in these centres including Stay and Play sessions and breastfeeding support groups, but Coun McDonald does not believe this will be enough to keep them afloat. But the intention of the council is to make these services self-sustainable and will offer a six to 12-month support period for the new lease holders to ensure they will be managed correctly.
Coun Marc Bayliss, Cabinet Member with responsibility for Children and Families who approved the plans, said: “I understand that this is a difficult time for service users, staff and partners. However these changes will allow us to continue to focus on supporting those families who need it most.
“The schools and childcare providers taking on these buildings have got some very encouraging plans for how they will continue working with partners to support children and families.
“In many cases, this means that children’s centre buildings will be open longer and be doing more to support their local community.”
* WHAT do you think about the proposals? How will these changes to children’s centres affect you and your family? Send us your views to [email protected] or write to us at the address on page eight.
