Nursery World - Ring-fence our Sure Start services, parents demand

A group of Hampshire parents who took a petition with 22,000 signatures to Downing Street urging the Government to reinstate the ring-fencing around Sure Start are expecting a decision from the Prime Minister in the summer.

Their call came after Hampshire County Council announced plans to merge 28 out of 81 children's centres and privatise them (News, 20 April).

The parents from the Save our Children's Centres (SOCC) Hampshire campaign are to step up pressure on the Government following the council's decision a fortnight ago to cluster 15 of the children's centres and charge parents for 'non-essential' services, including stay-and-play and messy play sessions, baby yoga and non-targeted services delivered by external providers such as baby massage and music.

Catherine Ovenden, a founder of the campaign group, said, 'We want a focus on universal access to services. If funding was ring-fenced, the council would have to spend the money on services.'

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