Over 60 parents, children and their supporters from around the country staged a ‘Save Our Children’s Centres’ Mothers’ Day rally outside Downing Street yesterday morning.
A petition of over 50,000 signatures against the national cuts to Sure Start children’s centres was handed to No.10 by several children who would be grievously affected by these cuts.
The rally was organised by ‘No Cuts for Kids’, and they brought the country-wide Sure Start petitions together for this presentation.
In Hammersmith, ten children’s centres have had their budgets slashed by up to 95 per cent.
Ruthie Walsh from the Hammersmith ‘Save Wendell Park Children’s Centre’ campaign, told News Line: ‘These cuts put our children at risk.
‘It’s important for all of us to understand that children’s centres provide early interaction in a community-led way.
‘They are staffed by educational professionals who enable parents, children and carers to interact.’
Gail Shaw, a grandmother, also a Wendell Park user, said, ‘We are angry that this service has been attacked when it works so well and provides a service for families with babies and young children.’
Ruth Hardcastle, a mother who uses the St Stephen’s Children’s Centre in Lambeth, praised the service as ‘it is amazingly good for mothers who have not had babies before.
‘It is so important for mothers to meet other mothers. I’ve made some of my best friends there.’
Ruth’s mother Annie Holder, a UCU rep in Lewisham said: ‘Cuts to children’s centres are barbaric – taking from children and babies.’
Chrissie Turner, supporting the Cathnor Park Children’s Centre in Shepherds Bush, said: ‘My middle son was born profoundly deaf and I had no support.
‘Cathnor Park Centre sent me to a conference on children with disabilities and out of that I organised my own support group for deaf children which still runs to this day and is a lifeline for those families.’
Meanwhile, child poverty action in Britain faces unlawful neglect by the government, the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) warned yesterday.
CPAG said: ‘Its failure to fully implement the Child Poverty Act is unlawful. This means the strategy will be unlawful according to the requirements of the Act.’
The group has written to ministers responsible for the government’s Child Poverty Strategy, warning: ‘Under the Act, Parliament required that the government establish an independent Child Poverty Commission to consult during preparation of that strategy.
‘The Child Poverty Strategy will be published on 5th April 2011 but the Commission has not been established and consulted.’
Alison Garnham, CPAG Chief Executive, said: ‘We are astonished to find the government flouting legal requirements set by Parliament.’
