PARENTS and many others are concerned about the proposed changes to children’s centre closures.

This is happening because of government cuts and the need to ensure there is enough money to cover the children’s safeguarding service.

The government is also introducing 15 hours of childcare for working parents (excluding those on zero-hours contracts) of children aged two years, as part of its their agenda to get parents of young children into work. Although quite how many jobs are available that allow you to start after dropping off your child at 8.45am and finish in time to pick them up at 11.45am, remains to be seen.

Gloucestershire County Council is conducting a consultation due to finish on April 11.

It is open to anyone who wishes to comment about the proposals and can be found at gloucestershire.gov.uk/familyservices We found the consultation information, both written and at the drop-in sessions to be lacking in detail and unclear.

GCC plans to cut the services provided by trained staff at most centres, except the two centres in Stonehouse and Dursley, with provision at other centres being outsourced to volunteers; or if volunteers are not available, no provision at all.

We urge more people to give their views.

As concerned grandparents, we have put together our views and responses to the consultation which may give some pointers to the issues you want to raise.

These can be found on the website stroudagainstcuts.co.uk No figures of the actual number and location of parents “interested” in volunteering were available, so it was not possible to determine the viability of this proposal.

Volunteers do a useful job and may develop their skills which can lead to getting paid work.

This is what the government would like parents to do, but the continuity is then lost.

Will these volunteers have the training to identify and signpost children and families with additional needs, or to provide an appropriate play setting for them?

If not, how are they to be picked up and provided for?

Provision is likely to be patchy and uncertain: who will support/manage the volunteers and what financial resources will be available to these groups to run them?

Children’s centres were originally set up to provide services for all families, in recognition that most people have a need for support and help at different times in their lives; having a new family is often one of them.

Children’s centres reduce the isolation parents can feel, and families needing support would be less likely to feel stigmatised in such a informal setting.

Children with additional needs can also be identified early as staff and families interact; and appropriate provision made available.

If sessions are not provided in their locality, what will happen to families, especially those that rely on public transport?

How likely is it that someone with a toddler and young baby will take two buses to get to a drop-in session, even supposing they can afford it?

Children’s centres used to be identified with their community.

Now those ties are under threat.

Professionals working together is to be welcomed, but if resources are cut, will this model work if it hasn’t happened so far with greater resources?

Children’s centre staff have skills in child development, building relationships with parents, running groups, managing inclusion and handling sensitive and tricky situations.

The centres provide a space where parents can meet, discuss issues, and gain confidence as parents, thus reducing isolation and improving mental health, and providing a safe and interesting environment in which children can learn and develop their skills and knowledge in a fun way; and where children’s needs are monitored on an ongoing basis to ensure they access early specialist provision if needed.

If redundancies are made, then this qualified and experienced workforce will be lost.

Why doesn’t GCC just be straight with us and tell us that the changes are because the government is cutting the amount of money local authorities have to spend on provision for children?

This is happening all over – remember Prime Minister David Cameron writing to his county councillors in Oxfordshire complaining about the cuts to services!

The irony!

So please find the consultation and let them know what you think.

Perhaps if the county council adopted an MBT plant instead of wasting taxpayers’ money on the incinerator, they could use the savings to protect these services.

Christine Stockwell and Barbara Potter

Whiteshill