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Promise of a nursery place for every child. But where?
• I AM writing as a parent and a member of the management group of Andover Early Years Centre, in response to the letter from Alison Ruddock, head of Early Years Service (Places for all children, March 21).
I have been a member of the management group for five years and during that time we have constantly asked Islington Council about the future of our centre in regard to the maintenance required on the building and in respect of other early years centres becoming children’s centres. We have only ever received vague responses until two weeks ago when we were informed that our centre will close in six months’ time. Although she states that no child will be left without a nursery place and children and staff will be moved to the new Mitford Children’s Centre in Hornsey Road, this centre has a maximum capacity of 48 children, with 25 places already filled.
Andover has a total of 54 children who will require places, some of whom are babies who have just settled and children with special educational needs who would find this quick move severely disruptive.
Also, the other two local children’s centres, Margaret McMillan and North Islington, which Ms Ruddock mentioned in her letter, are undergoing building works and are not taking any new admissions at this time.
Although she states children will not be left without a suitable place in September, the choice will be made for me on which early-years provision my two-year-old can attend. I would have thought that as a parent the choice would have been mine.
The outcome of this is that parents of the centre feel angry and devalued as we have chosen this centre because of the excellent quality of care our children receive from the valued and committed staff. There is no guarantee these staff will move with the children or even keep their jobs.
I have questioned Ms Ruddock, when she attended a parents’ consultation at the centre on March 11, after the decision had been made, on the use of a council nursery building in Conewood Street, Highbury, which I believe is empty and is used by other centres when they are undergoing building works. I asked why moving the thriving early years provision there had not been considered, when the council states there is not enough good-quality provision in this borough.
Ms Ruddock was unable to answer this question and said she would get back to me. I am still awaiting a reply to this and other unanswered questions,
I am a working parent of two young children, one of whom is under three. Because of the shortage of good-quality affordable under-threes childcare in Islington I may now be forced to leave work and care for my child at home.
DENNISE FRENCH
Address supplied, EC1
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