Brent Council out-sourced 14 Brent children's centres to the charity Barnardo's. Now childminders are petitioning the council to demand that Barnardo's re-instate childminder sessions at Harmony Children's Centre and go further in demanding that to avoid the risk of cuts in more vital services Children's Centres are brought back in house.
This is their petition that can be found on the Brent Council website HERE. I urge you to sign.
We the undersigned petition the council to Demand that childminder sessions are protected and not cancelled or moved by Barnardos. Demand that the childminder session at Harmony Children’s Centre is re-instated immediately. Bring back children’s centres in house.
Barnardos charity were awarded the contract to run 14
Children’s Centres in Brent. In January they cancelled the
childminder session at Harmony Children’s Centre which was
accessed by local childminders and the children in their care. They
moved the session to St Raphaels Children Centre which is across
the North Circular Road from Harmony, too busy a road for a
childminder to cross with very small children.
In their response to our concerns it seems as though Barnardos wish to cancel all child minder sessions from their Prime Time slots which would be useless to childminders as the morning is the only times they can go out of the house with their children due to naps and school pick ups.
The childminder sessions are well attended, run by the childminders themselves, provide excellent learning opportunities for the children, provide socialisation for the children and give the childminders the chance to meet and share best practice.
As a result, Barnardos are not fulfilling their own vision of “believe in children” as they cut these vital services for local children. Therefore, we demand that Children’s Centres are brought back in house, otherwise there is a risk more vital services will be cut by Barnardos.
In their response to our concerns it seems as though Barnardos wish to cancel all child minder sessions from their Prime Time slots which would be useless to childminders as the morning is the only times they can go out of the house with their children due to naps and school pick ups.
The childminder sessions are well attended, run by the childminders themselves, provide excellent learning opportunities for the children, provide socialisation for the children and give the childminders the chance to meet and share best practice.
As a result, Barnardos are not fulfilling their own vision of “believe in children” as they cut these vital services for local children. Therefore, we demand that Children’s Centres are brought back in house, otherwise there is a risk more vital services will be cut by Barnardos.
