Following recent speculation on the future of children’s centres across the borough, I would like to clarify the current situation with Barnet’s centres.
Barnet Council has full funding for all our 21 children’s centres until the end of the current financial year (March 2011).
These children’s centres are paid for entirely out of central Government’s Sure Start grants and we will not know the level of funding we will receive for the next financial year until around mid-December.
This is entirely normal and I have written to parents explaining the current situation.
We will obviously develop plans for next year in the light of the money available for the council to spend. We will then discuss these plans with parents, staff and partner agencies across the borough.
Changes, if any, to what we provide in Barnet will be targeted to ensure services and support are there for those parents and children most in need of the council’s help.
Until we hear from central Government, any further comments in the media or elsewhere are pure speculation.
Councillor Andrew Harper
deputy leader of Barnet Council and cabinet member for education, children and families
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