Tories running risks with children's centres

9.39.31am BST (GMT +0100) Fri 21st Oct 2005

The Labour Government is offering Councils some money (capital and revenue) to set up new Children's Centres for children from 0 to 5 which will provide childcare, child and family health services, support for parents and links with JobCentre Plus to help parents or carers who want to return to work. Oxfordshire already has four such centres and the Government suggests opening another 25 by 2008 concentrating on areas of the county with the highest deprivation.

Liberal Democrat Jean Fooks welcomed the new centres, but she fears that the money offered by the Government is inadequate and only guaranteed for two years. The Conservative administration is considering opening some centres and then closing them if the Government grant falls in 2008.

It would be a great pity if parents' hopes were raised only to be dashed when the centres do not materialise as promised. Rural children look to be particularly poorly served, with only one mobile centre planned for the whole county. No consultation has even been planned for the southeast of the county, such as in Thame or Henley. Jean said, "I asked the Cabinet if they could not consider a second mobile centre, as there are so many families in rural areas who will find it very difficult or impossible to reach centres in towns. I did not get an answer.

"The Conservative cabinet seemed more interested in developing an exit strategy if funds dry up than in providing services to the rural areas. Should they not start with a smaller number of centres which can be properly resourced, rather than try to do 25 at once?"