[Radical_childcare] Friends of Hackney Nurseries Strategy Planning Afternoon: Sun 28 June 1.30- 4.30pm

[Camille Barbagallo]

***please circulate widely to networks and interested folk****
all nursery staff, parents, community activists, trade unionists, feminists
and kids welcome

*Friends of Hackney Nurseries Strategy Planning Afternoon *
*Sunday 28 June 1.30pm - 4.30pm*
*Hackney City Farm, **1a Goldsmith's Row, **London E2 8QA*
*[creche: you need to call **07981070417 **in advance to let us know the age
and number of kids attending - so we can plan activities and staff levels]*

Friends of Hackney Nurseries (FHN) would like to invite you to join us for
an afternoon of information sharing, discussion and planning for the
campaign for quality, affordable childcare for all. The FHN campaign is at a
crucial point - with the Hackney Learning Trust refusing to be honest about
its internal processes and with the prospect of further funding cuts being
implemented next year, it is imperative that we join together, share
information and get organised. The recent campaign has shown that people
working together have the ability to create change.

*Some initial questions for the strategy day:*
- what do we want to achieve with our campaign - in the short term and in
the long term
- who do we want to get involved in the campaign
- how do we get them involved
- what actions and mobilisations do we think will work / are we capable of
doing
- when should FHN hold our regular meetings and activities

*We need community controlled, quality affordable childcare*
*No nursery cuts in Hackney!*

During April 2010, the Learning Trust attempted to imposed funding cuts on a
number of nurseries in Hackney without notice of up to £50,000 for each
nursery. Funding cuts could lead to nursery closures, cause great hardship
for parents, workers and children.  These latest cuts have come on the back
of years of continued decreases in funding. Nurseries that are already
struggling to provide the high quality and affordable childcare that both
parents and nursery workers want will find it virtually impossible to do so
if we don’t join together and demand no cuts to nursery funding in Hackney.

*CAMPAIGN UPDATE: *
In response to the Friends of Hackney Nurseries recent campaign against the
cuts and the determination of nursery staff and parents at the affected
nurseries the Learning Trust has backtracked on some of cuts - but only
some. They have acknowledgement that they behaved inconsistently and poorly,
and in meetings in mid June the Learning Trust apologised for the way in
which the matter was handled and also provided some of the affected
nurseries with 'cushioning money'. They also suddenly announced that they
were opening up a second round of applications for commissioning grants.
While this has been a fantastic result it does not mean all of the money has
been returned to those nurseries affected, with the result being a loss of
childcare places in some, and staff in others. There is still real concern
about the future viability of some of the nurseries, with the prospect of
more staff redundancies, higher fees, a decline in the quality of care, and
in some cases eventual closure.

Good quality, affordable childcare under community control is not a
privilege, but a fundamental right and need for all of us. Childcare should
not be a ‘problem’ that has to be solved by individual parents but instead a
community service that ensures that our children have access to the best
quality care and staff, parents, and carers have control of these vital
service.

More information & meeting times
friendsofhackneynurseries.wordpress.com

*About Friends of Hackney’s Nurseries*
Friends of Hackney Nurseries  is a local group of parents, nursery workers,
local residents and community activists that believe that quality childcare
should be affordable and accessible to all those who need it.
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