The authority has launched a consultation on plans to close 10 of its 17 children’s centres, leaving just seven centres in the areas deemed to be of “greatest need”.
However, a council report shows that Liverpool hopes that other organisations, including schools, will take over the running of centres earmarked for closure.
Under the plans, the council will seek to reduce its children’s centres workforce by 63 FTE jobs, cutting it from 157 to 94 FTE posts.
The council is considering the move as part of efforts to save £156m by 2017, but the paper does not give details about how much the authority hopes to save from its children’s centres budget.
Councillor Jane Corbett, cabinet member for children’s services, said that financial pressures have left the council between “a rock and a hard place”.
“Children’s centres are very dear to my heart as I helped set up the first one in the city and I know the positive difference they make to children’s lives in the long term,” she said.
“But we are between a rock and a hard place, and in these incredibly difficult times we have to protect the frontline where children are right on the edge of care and in danger.
“Money is so tight now that we are having to make deep cuts to our children’s centres which were previously unimaginable.”
The consultation will run until 24 March and the council hopes to make a final decision before June.
The seven children’s centres expected to stay open are:
- Everton
- Granby
- Picton
- Clubmoor
- County
- Belle Vale
- Speke
