Former special adviser to Balls named chief executive of cot death charity
Janaki Mahadevan
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Francine Bates, the former special adviser to Ed Balls, has been appointed as the new chief executive of cot death charity the Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths (FSID).
Bates was a special adviser in the Department for Children, Schools and Families for three years and prior to that was chief executive of charity Contact a Family between 2000 and 2007.
She was awarded and OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List in 2006 for her campaigning on behalf of families with disabled children.
Bates said: "FSID has played a vital role in reducing cot death levels over the past 20 years. However, the challenge of reaching out to new parents and advising them about the risks of cot death is ongoing. This is especially true for those living in the most disadvantaged communities where some family health and support services are sadly being cut back.
"I intend to meet that challenge head on, working together with staff and trustees at FSID, as well as colleagues in the children’s health sector, to ensure that every baby has the chance of a lifetime."
Bates will replace Joyce Epstein, who is retiring after 20 years in the role.
FSID’s chairman Terry Hebden, said: "Her energy and commitment, breadth of experience in the voluntary sector and success in influencing children’s policy will raise the profile of the charity, enabling us to provide more support for the most vulnerable babies in the UK."
