El Cid Posted March 10, 2013 Share Posted March 10, 2013 It seems that when it comes to the cuts, its devide and rule. Should we keep open this sure start center, the old peoples day center or the libraries? What makes Woodthorpe special enough to save? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsMozzy Posted March 10, 2013 Share Posted March 10, 2013 it is just asking for some of the same support that many other centres are still getting. Isn't that the point? That NO centre will be receiving a subsidy for childcare in the future? A nursery needs to balance its books by generating income from fees and grant funding via the Government for eligible children - and good quality childcare (provided by well-qualified staff, in appropriate premises with adequate resources) isn't a cheap business proposition. That said, it is a worrying time for parents, having to find alternative childcare at short notice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
go4it Posted March 10, 2013 Share Posted March 10, 2013 The cost of the childcare is not the issue, it is the flexibility. We could find other nurseries for the same hourly rate, but some nurseries will only let you book for full days or full sessions, resulting in them being an overall more expensive option. Other people have discovered that they can only book for year round contracts when they only need term time. But surely this is the problem. Why should the Council continue to subsidise a service just because it is convenient for you and saves you money, whilst others work around this inconvenience and have to pay more? Sure Start has failed nationally because it has given everything for free (baby packs), and allowed parents total convenience. Sadly the world is not like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gym_rat Posted March 10, 2013 Share Posted March 10, 2013 But surely this is the problem. Why should the Council continue to subsidise a service just because it is convenient for you and saves you money, whilst others work around this inconvenience and have to pay more? Sure Start has failed nationally because it has given everything for free (baby packs), and allowed parents total convenience. Sadly the world is not like that. well said that man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RosyRat Posted March 10, 2013 Share Posted March 10, 2013 The Council does not want to cut any Children's Centres, in the same way they don't want to close libraries or sports centres. What would you choose to keep if you were faced with a £57 million cut in the city's funding this year and £30 miilion next year? Plus, the government is telling us what we can spend the funding on and it certainly isn't provision for early years. To quote the article I've linked to below : "But it has now emerged that ministers intend to fund the day-to-day running costs of the nursery scheme by top-slicing hundreds of millions of pounds from the early intervention grant currently used by councils to pay for Sure Start centres, parent and toddler schemes, parenting projects, short breaks for disabled children, and initiatives that support the government's troubled families programme." http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2012/sep/27/free-nursery-places-funded-sure-start Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the_bloke Posted March 10, 2013 Share Posted March 10, 2013 But surely this is the problem. Why should the Council continue to subsidise a service just because it is convenient for you and saves you money, whilst others work around this inconvenience and have to pay more? Sure Start has failed nationally because it has given everything for free (baby packs), and allowed parents total convenience. Sadly the world is not like that. My oldest child is 9 and my youngest is 2; I don't even know what a Sure Start centre is, yet both my wife and I have managed to be in employment - myself full time, my wife does 70 hours across 3 weeks - since they were born and neither of them went to any sort of nursery. Kind of annoying to think my wife works nights so she can look after our youngest in the daytime yet her taxes enable other people to work 9 to 5 with a Council funded child support system around them due to their postcode. Sorry if that's not the politically correct viewpoint, but it's one that most people have! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gym_rat Posted March 10, 2013 Share Posted March 10, 2013 My oldest child is 9 and my youngest is 2; I don't even know what a Sure Start centre is, yet both my wife and I have managed to be in employment - myself full time, my wife does 70 hours across 3 weeks - since they were born and neither of them went to any sort of nursery. Kind of annoying to think my wife works nights so she can look after our youngest in the daytime yet her taxes enable other people to work 9 to 5 with a Council funded child support system around them due to their postcode. Sorry if that's not the politically correct viewpoint, but it's one that most people have! well said that man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
go4it Posted March 11, 2013 Share Posted March 11, 2013 "But it has now emerged that ministers intend to fund the day-to-day running costs of the nursery scheme by top-slicing hundreds of millions of pounds from the early intervention grant currently used by councils to pay for Sure Start centres, parent and toddler schemes, parenting projects, short breaks for disabled children, and initiatives that support the government's troubled families programme." Sure Start was a mess created by Labour. In hindsight this country could not afford it, something the Labour government at the time should have realised. So bit of a cheek of you to moan that all these things are being cut. Short breaks for disabled children? - a lot of families of children with 'ADHD' took the cash and went boozing at Butlins for a week. ---------- Post added 11-03-2013 at 00:16 ---------- Kind of annoying to think my wife works nights so she can look after our youngest in the daytime yet her taxes enable other people to work 9 to 5 with a Council funded child support system around them due to their postcode. Sorry if that's not the politically correct viewpoint, but it's one that most people have! Sadly in this country if you provide help to someone to help themselves, then they will just sit back and keep taking the help from you. This in turn develops into 'their right'. The whole Labour philosophy behind Sure Start was to give struggling parents a head start, and that support would eventually be withdrawn. But like most Labour voters content on claiming benefits and bemoaning the system, they was no inclination to support themselves whatsoever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
droyal79 Posted March 11, 2013 Share Posted March 11, 2013 I have one child of 2 1/2 and she currently uses the sure start centre on Lewis Road. We pay the full childcare costs they ask for as both me and my wife work full time, and don't receive any tax credits so don't get government help with childcare. My wife works 8:30am till 5pm, and I work 6:30pm till 3am, and one of the services that the sure start centre offers that a lot of creches don't is a breakfast club, which allows my wife to get to work on time as we can drop the little one off at 7am, then I pick her up at 12, to allow me to get my sleep. If this centre was to close it would impact on a lot of parents in that they would have to change work hours, or even leave their jobs. No-one is asking for a hand out here, just the chance to find a viable solution to keep the centre open, so our children can continue to be with the friends they have made and the staff they know and love. There is a meeting at the Lewis Road sure start centre on Tuesday at 6pm if anyone wants to attend and show their support. http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Save-Woodthorpe-Childrens-Centre-Lewis-Road-Sheffield/480505005336898 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SH34 Posted March 11, 2013 Share Posted March 11, 2013 Is the Woodthorpe CC still open for drop-ins and groups? e.g midwife drop in and breastfeeding group? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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