Coventry mum launches campaign to save Sure Start centres...

[dutchman]

A Coventry mum has launched a citywide campaign against drastic council cuts to Sure Start children’s centres for the under-fives.



Sam Lyle has set up a ‘Save Our Children’s Centres’ campaign, and is urging all parents to contact her, sign a petition, and lobby councillors and MPs.

Coventry City Council’s children’s services is considering eliminating its £4.2million deficit, and finding further multi-million pound savings, through measures including cutting the Sure Start centres.

Ms Lyle, 35, of Whoberley Avenue, Chapelfields, said: “Every parent I’ve spoken with is shocked and confused, and they don’t know where to turn.

“The council has provided no evidence why they cannot raise fees slightly and provide more places to make the Sure Start nurseries more viable.

“We believe in the values of Sure Start which encourage social inclusion. Cutbacks will leave mainly private provision, which seeks to make a profit from children’s care, and results in poorer quality, including on staffing.”

A protest has been lined up for 1.30pm on Tuesday outside the Council House, city centre, when the council’s ruling Labour cabinet will discuss some of the cuts.

It follows two sets of plans for cutbacks revealed in the Telegraph.

Measures could include combining staff and buildings and Labour councillors Jim O’Boyle and Lynnette Kelly have both told the Telegraph closures cannot be ruled out.

A separate plan, going before the cabinet on Tuesday ahead of an expected public consultation, would end all full-time day care, which is provided at half of the council’s 20 Sure Start centres.

About 300 full-time places would be cut back to 300 part-time sessional places only, for toddlers aged between two and five.

All nursery care for under twos would be scrapped. About 60 nursery staff – half of all staff – would be affected.

The Telegraph reported parents’ concerns at the Stoke Heath centre that they might have to give up jobs, pay higher fee at private nurseries, and lose a valued and convenient service from well-qualified staff.

Sure Start centres also provide education, health, and training, including parental classes and job training.

Ms Lyle, whose 15-month-old son Charlie attends the Tile Hill children’s centre, has already written to councillors and MP Geoffrey Robinson.

Her campaign will also use social networking sites Facebook at Twitter, including a e-petition.

She is visiting all 20 centres urging parents to sign a petition, and email her their stories about why they value the centres, to go to councillors.

Ms Lyle, a postgraduate Warwick University student and her partner Mark, a university researcher, say Sure Start centres should continue to be universally available to give children everywhere the best start in life – a principle which saw the last Labour government rapidly expand the service to 3,000 centres.

Coun Kelly, cabinet member for education, says the nursery cuts would enable limited funds following government cuts to be better targeted at disadvantaged and vulnerable families most in need.

Sam Lyle can be contacted at samlyle2001@hotmail.com or on 0796 8386026.