PARENTS have reacted with anger to the possibility children's centres may have to be cut across the borough due to a lack of funding.

Barnet Council has announced it expects the Sure Start Early Years Grant (SSEYG), which comes solely from central Government, to be slashed in December.

It means all 21 children's centres could be under threat.

Council bosses have started discussions with parents about how often the centres are used, which has prompted fears the services will be severely reduced by next year.

One parent, who did not want to be named, said she has heard the number of centres could be cut to as few as four.

She said: “Closing the centres will cause disruption and a lack of support for parents.

“Where are the children going to go? If they close in March, some children will have nowhere to go until they start school in September.

“I am very distressed about this. Everyone feels the centres are going to close, and the council is scaremongering.

“Parents are going to have to pay for child care and it is going to have a real impact on them.”

Seven of the 21 children's centres provide childcare for children aged 0-5, and the council recently spent hundreds of thousands of pounds placing Sure Start children's centres in the borough's libraries.

Councillor Andrew Harper, deputy leader of the council and cabinet member for education, children and families, said: “ "The Council is currently reviewing the performance and impact of our children’s Centres, which are entirely funded from the SSEYG received from central government.

"We're expecting a decision in December about what the exact grant allocation will be, and how that will have an impact on our children’s centres.

"We're currently in discussions with parents about their use of children's centres which will help to inform us on how to deal with an expected reduction in our grant.

“Until then it's too early to say about which children's centres, if any, will be affected."