Unison figures reveal sharp fall in children's centres funding

Data collected by the union through a Freedom of Information request reveals that children’s centres spending has fallen by £82m since ringfencing for the funding was removed in April 2010.??

The reduction in spending has seen councils close or merge 292 centres during the same timeframe, with London losing 67 centres, the highest in any region.

According to the research, councils in the West Midlands have made the biggest funding cuts (25.4 per cent of total children's centres budget), followed by Yorkshire and Humberside (21.6 per cent).

The findings are drawn from the responses of 116 councils, a response rate of 76 per cent.

They follow figures published by Labour last November that suggested 578 children’s centres had closed since the coalition government took office. However, the government refutes the figures and claims only a handful of centres have closed.

The pressure on children's centres budgets appears to be continuing: this month, Swindon Borough Council announced plans to close seven of its 12 centres as part of plans to save £770,000 from its £2m budget, while Wakefield Council wants to close 14 of its 23 centres.

??Heather Wakefield, Unison’s head of local government, said the government must do more to protect children’s centre services.??

She said: “Children’s centres used to be the hub of local communities but the severe cuts being imposed on local councils by the government mean that services are being cut back or scrapped altogether, forcing parents who are already struggling to find extra money to pay for childcare or expensive alternatives.??

“The government must seriously look at new sources of funding for vital community services such as children’s centres, and give local councils a much bigger say in how they use that money.

“Anne Longfield, chief executive of 4Children, said children’s centres services are under more pressure than ever before.??

She said: “During the last four years children’s centres have been under significant budget pressures and these figures tally with what 4Children understands is the situation.??

“We have calculated that the future of between 87 and 112 children’s centres are currently being consulted on or have otherwise been identified at risk of closure.

??“However, the services children’s centres offer to families are in demand. A record number of more than 1m families have benefited from support of children’s centres, which report a 75 per cent increase in use during the last year.”

A spokeswoman for the Department for Education said that only 76 centres have closed since 2010.

She said: "We want to see a strong network of children's centres in place across the country, offering families access to a wide range of local, flexible services.

??“Councils are best placed to organise these services.”

In April, the National Children’s Bureau called on the government to clarify the core purpose of children’s centres and prioritise their funding in a bid to secure their future.??

In addition, the education select committee has called for councils to be made more accountable for children’s centres.