Parents fighting to save Shenley Children's Centre
Nov 27 2009 by Jane Tyler, Birmingham Mail
PARENTS are fighting to save a Birmingham nursery whose future is in doubt because of Government cutbacks.
They claim Shenley Children’s Centre is under threat because some of its funding is being taken away.
Under changes planned to the Early Years Single Funding Formula next April, the Department of Children Schools and Families will reduce the amount of money it gives to nurseries which provide free places to three to five-year-olds.
The reduction will mean parents will no longer be able to put their children in the nursery full time and will have to reduce it to part time, which will be about two-and-a-half hours a day.
Furious parents at Shenley say they will either have to take time off work to look after their child or pay and send them to another nursery.
They claim the centre will also be affected because if it does not find another 60 children to make up the shortfall it may have to cut staff.
Parents have former a campaign group to make other nurseries in Birmingham aware of the impending cuts and fight them.
The Friends of Shenley Fields Children’s Centre said it was more than just a nursery. As well as being run by qualified teaching staff, it also offered courses and training in first aid, food hygiene, gave help in finding jobs, ran a Citizens’ Advice Bureau service and also gave financial advice.
Mum-of-six Julie Cooper said: “If my children can only attend for three hours a day it just wouldn’t be the same. I wouldn’t have time to take part in the activities and the children’s experiences would be rushed.”
Another parent, Linda Tranter, said: “Without this place a lot of children will be put at risk and will struggle to make a positive start at primary school, I will also have to give up my job.”
They have sent 265 letters to Schools Secretary Ed Balls, as well as urging everyone to sign a petition on the No 10 website. The mums and dads have also gathered a petition containing over 260 signatures.
The Department of Children, Schools and Families has defended the changes saying the changes would make nursery care available to all.
In a statement it said: “The single local formula is intended to support the extension of the free entitlement for three to four-year-olds and to address inconsistencies in how the offer is currently funded.
“This will help to ensure that decisions about funding are transparent and based on the same factors.”
