It is too late now for Easter, but Horsham Labour party are continuing to put pressure on the council to reconsider their decision before the summer holidays.
At the full council meeting on Fenruary 24th parents were told that the council would make other arrangements to help parents affected by these cuts, but did not provide any details of what form that help would take.
On March 23rd one of those parents wrote to councillor Paterson, who had given these assurances at the meeting. The text of that letter is reproduced here:
Dear councillor Paterson,
I attended the full Horsham district council meeting on Wednesday 24th February 2010.
I was anxious to hear the debate on the proposal to cancel the council run play schemes. I am a user of the play scheme at Forest for the Easter and Summer school holidays and it was important for me this scheme was not closed.
The advantage of the council run scheme is that you can turn up and it is a pay-as-you-go scheme. The private schemes have to be booked and if a child is unable to attend for any reason the money is not refunded.
Listening to the debate to cancel the scheme it was apparent that the council and members had not thought through the impact or financial implication of the closure to parents and children.
If the numbers have dropped, an alternative would have been to close half the play schemes and keep half open and possibly open in summer holidays only. This would have reduced the cost by over half
You suggested that the option of using the private schemes was more favourable. When questioned by an opposition councillor how the cost by low paid parents could be offset to have parity with the cost of the council run schemes, another question was asked if there is money in the budget to support the subsidy?
You stated there was money in the budget to finance this suggestion of subsidy, probably by introducing vouchers
When questioned if the leisure access card could be used at private schemes you said this could be used to get a reduction on the child care fee
I was outraged that the ruling council voted against a proposal to suspend the decision to close the scheme until the full cost implications had been submitted.
I don’t think you or your fellow councillors appreciate how some working parents and especially single working parents such as myself, struggle to pay for childcare for their children during the school holidays.
I telephoned the Council and on request I was supplied with a list of private schemes.
At Forest I currently pay £8 per child per day the cost for the week is £40 this is with a £25 reduction using my Leisure access card and I pay for three children.
The private schemes range between £18 and £35 per child per day. Only one private scheme accepts the access leisure card offering £1 reduction per day.
See table of costs for play schemes supplied to me by the Council at the end of the letter [table not included here for reasons of space and formatting]
Hence I would be paying more out in childcare than the wage that I earn.
Three weeks have passed since the 24th February meeting and I would like confirmation from you as to what arrangements have been made and that vouchers will be available.
I expect you to keep your promise.
The first date will be the Easter holiday Tuesday 6th April.
Yours Sincerely,
Mrs P Chapman Salas
As the school holidays approached, Mrs. Chapman Salas had not received a response from councillor Paterson and contacted Horsham Labour party again. The Chair of the party, David Hide, emailed councillor Paterson on April 5th - the day before the start of the holidays. He wrote:
We would like to ask any parents who have would have used the council play schemes this Easter to let us know what impact the budget cuts have had on them, whether they had to take time off work, pay extra to a private scheme, or make some other arrangements.Dear Councillor Paterson
I have been contacted by Paula Chapman Salas who is the woman who first alerted Horsham Labour party to the prospect of families across the District losing the affordable, friendly and secure play schemes as a result of budget cuts.
I am aware that she has written to you 2 weeks ago as she was concerned about the lack of progress to provide alternative arrangements for the Easter holidays. The play schemes I understand would normally commence tomorrow, Tuesday, and she has not been informed of what help the council are planning to provide the many families who have come to rely on this childcare facility.
I attended the council meeting where the decision to cut the play schemes was made, a disgraceful decision I might add, and you assured the chamber that compensation would be made available in the form, I think of vouchers? Is Ms Chapman Salas alone in not being provided with the appropriate level of support through being offered sufficient vouchers to ensure that she will not incur additional costs following the decision to close the play schemes, or have you not contacted any of the play scheme users to provide these families with much needed vouchers?
I attach the letter that I believe Ms Chapman Salas has sent to you and request that by return you respond to my enquiry with what I hope will be both good and reassuring news that you have all the appropriate arrangements in place to ensure a smooth and financially pain free transition for the families involved from the council run play schemes to those run privately.
Wish best wishes for the holiday season
David Hide
Chair Horsham Labour party
More importantly we encourage those parents to write to their local councillors so that they are aware of the human impacts of their decisions.
It looks as if the promises made in the council meeting of February 24th were empty promises and we will be putting pressure on the council to either reinstate the play scheme service in time for the summer holidays or let parents know in good time, what help is available to make the private schemes more affordable during the long holidays.