Unsure of their children’s future
A professor of social work has hit out at the savage cuts he fears will hit children’s centres in Leamington and Warwick in spite of them aleady delivering “outstanding” improvements in early years development.
In Lillington, where the charity Action for Children runs one of six SureStart centres, the proportion of primary school children achieving a “good” overall development score at the end of their first year of education rose from 35 per cent in 2007 to 60 per cent in 2009.
In Sydenham - where there is another centre - the scores on the same range of criteria, including speech and language development and numeracy, rose from 40 per cent in 2007 to 57 per cent in 2009.
No firm decision has been made but retired Emeritus professor Paul Bywaters is appealing to everyone to write to MPs and councillors about what he estimates will be a nearly 20 per cent cut by Warwickshire County Council likely to hit SureStart’s local £1.2 million budget later this month.
Professor Bywaters, who lives in Leamington and chairs a strategic advisory group, said: “Can’t Warwickshire county councillors see that investing in these early years will save millions later?
“Children’s centres are not just for financially poor families, they are for all families. They can lay the foundations for a better future by improving educational results, reducing crime, enhancing health, boosting the economy and making for a happier family life.”
Only last month Olwyn Ditchburn, the director of the six centres, received an MBE for her remarkable contribution to children’s services. Now she dare not replace staff who are leaving due to the financial uncertainty.
Three Lillington mothers say they will protest any cuts because it is not only their children who benefited from SureStart programmes.
Sam Garland, 25, said: “The service also helps us to access courses that will help us as parents and when we go back to work.”
Laura Bailey, also 25, and Cassy Hands, 22, said: “The support we have received has been amazing.”
A Warwickshire County Council spokesman said: “The budgets for the county council have not yet been finalised and therefore no decisions have been taken regarding any reductions to early years and childcare services, including children’s centres.”
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Weather for Leamington
Tuesday 22 May 2012
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Temperature: 11 C to 24 C
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