Job cuts dampen joy at new funding

Increased spending on childcare is an encouraging sign that the Government is tackling child poverty but cuts in civil service jobs could undermine the strategy, the Child Poverty Action Group warned last week.

CPAG chief executive Kate Green welcomed Chancellor Gordon Brown's announcement of pilot schemes involving nursery education for 12,000 children in 500 areas and an additional 120,000 childcare places by 2008. But she said that the Government must now 'shift up a gear if real, sustainable and long-term progress in tackling child poverty is to be achieved'.

She said that quality was more important than choice. 'Parents do not want to have to shop around for decent schools and services - they want to know there is a good school or children's centre on their doorstep.'

CPAG welcomed the 522m handed to the neighbourhood renewal fund, but said that the incomes of some of the poorest families remained too low. Ms Green said the target to halve child poverty by 2010 'cannot be met without year-on-year increases in investment in tax credits and child benefits. We are concerned that the job cuts announced for the Department for Work and Pensions and Inland Revenue may have a negative effect on some of the poorest families.'

A warning that 80,000 job losses in the civil service could impact on front-line public services was also sounded by the GMB union. However, deputy general secretary Debbie Coulter said, 'We particularly welcome the increase in childcare places and the support being offered to two-year-olds, which will help the families of many of our members and those returning to work.'

CPAG said that the new proposed material deprivation indicator must properly measure the persistent poverty in families who cannot afford essentials for their children's development and well-being. The Department for Work and Pensions is due to make further announcements on the measurement of child poverty during the next two weeks.

The Daycare Trust welcomed the 100m devoted to increasing the projected number of children's centres from 1,700 to 2,500 in the 30 per cent most disadvantaged wards. Director Stephen Burke said, 'Children's centres will become part of every community, like schools and GP surgeries. Children's centres will be a legacy for generations to come, at the heart of every community and creating choices for every family. British parents have long wanted the choices available to their European neighbours.'

He looked forward to the ten-year plan, to be published later this year in the pre-Budget report, which will set out how quality affordable childcare is intended to be funded and delivered for all families by 2015.

Rosemary Murphy, chief executive of the National Day Nurseries Association, applauded the Chancellor's commitment by 2015 to ensure choice for parents and high quality pre-school education and childcare for all under-fives. But she said, 'Good- quality childcare needs investment and we must ensure a significant long-term rise in spending if we are to achieve the vision of universal, high-quality childcare.'

The charity 4Children said that in the fourth consecutive spending review, the Chancellor had 'championed the needs of children, putting the country's poorest children first - revealing his commitment to supporting the young as the key way of tackling poverty and improving life chances.'