Consultation on changes to early education and childcare and children's centre services

Overview

A borough-wide consultation on changes to early education, childcare and children’s centres is being undertaken by the Council, as part of a new Camden Sure Start approach to services for children aged 0 to five and their families.

Building on the principles of the national Sure Start programme, the Council would continue investing £25.5 million a year into providing early years services, limiting savings to £1.5 million.

By 2017 Camden Council’s funding from central government will be halved compared with 2010. This means making tough choices about the services we provide so our investment has the biggest positive impact on children’s lives. 

Our aim is to ensure children have the best start in life and for us to focus resources on children and families with the greatest need.

We would provide early education and childcare (nursery) places in all our current children’s centres, while children’s centre services - including drop-in / stay and play sessions (see full list below) - would run from different venues according to local need.

The proposals mean changes to some children’s centre services from 2016 and changes to how families will be able to take up Council-provided early education and childcare places, which would begin in September 2015. No children’s centre buildings would close.

We want to hear your views

We want the views of local people on our proposals and will use your responses to inform the changes we make to services. We are holding parents events and will put the dates on our website shortly.  We are also consulting organisations directly affected by the proposed changes.

There are two sets of consultation questions:

• Proposed children’s centre changes  (please respond by 5pm on Friday 31 July 2015)
• The one on proposed changes to early education and children HAS NOW CLOSED.

Camden Council’s Cabinet will make a final decision on changes to early education and childcare on 22 July 2015 and on children’s centre changes in the autumn.

If you would like an easy-read or large print version of this consultation, or need it to be translated into another language, please email camdensurestart@camden.gov.uk.