Nursery World - Don't let it go to waste

Neighbourhood nurseries in local authority children's centres face severe problems too (News, 30 November). Like those from other sectors, we have a deficit which is growing worse as grants decrease. Attracting children to fill our empty sessions, in a locality with over-capacity for three- to five-year-olds, is bound to have an adverse effect on other nurseries. Last week the childcare in our neighbourhood nursery was praised in the inspectors' report as 'outstanding'. But we must break even if we want to stay open. To be viable we have to accept more who can pay (high-earning professionals), which creates two sets of problems. There are relatively few such families in our area. More importantly, we cannot subsidise poor families, whom we ought to and want to serve.

Last week the childcare in our neighbourhood nursery was praised in the inspectors' report as 'outstanding'. But we must break even if we want to stay open. To be viable we have to accept more who can pay (high-earning professionals), which creates two sets of problems. There are relatively few such families in our area. More importantly, we cannot subsidise poor families, whom we ought to and want to serve.

In many local authorities, there simply isn't the money to support neighbourhood nurseries. Further, as children's centre grants diminish, we wonder how we can continue to offer the full range of integrated and highly valued services.

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