Story: Abtisam Mohammed
On 27th February the Council decided to go ahead with proposals to cut funding from 20 early years providers – mainly community nurseries operating in some of the most deprived areas in the city.
In Burngreave, Fir Vale Pre-School, Watoto and Ellesmere Children’s Centre are directly affected. The Council decided to ignore the pleas of the very large and vocal early years campaign, the response from their own consultation and the largest petition ever handed in to Sheffield City Council (over 10,000 signatures). Parents are now mounting a legal challenge on the basis that the consultation has been flawed and equalities ignored.
The Council has offered ‘business planning support’ to the providers. It is unclear what this consists of and why the Council thinks its staff know how to run voluntary organisations better than their own staff. Providers are already operating on a shoestring and are unclear where the business support officers think they can reduce costs from.
Providers have to consider whether to cut childcare to term time only, reduce the hours in the day or stop offering childcare for under-2s. It will only make it harder for women in Burngreave to enter training and work.