Parents using council and community nurseries in the London borough of Hackney have been contacted by the director of education warning of a steep rise in fees. Councillors want to cut 750,000 from the nursery service and are considering two options, which could result in top rate fees rising from Pounds 80 to 150 per week from 1 May.
Children and parents occupied two council-funded day nurseries and staged protests last year after the council tried to close Fernbank Nursery and Atherden Road Nursery (News, 16 November 2000). After a short reprieve Atherden Road closed in January. Friends of Hackney Nurseries is warning that further closures, particularly of community nurseries, may follow if parents cannot afford the higher nursery fees.
In a deputation to the Hackney Council education committee last week, Friends of Hackney Nurseries said, 'Our research has shown that the Working Families Tax Credit (WFTC) is not having the expected impact on childcare costs. We have countless examples of existing nursery parents who, for typical local reasons, are not helped by WFTC. But even when parents are eligible for WFTC they are reluctant to claim it because they have to reapply every six months and this makes an administrative nightmare in relation to their housing benefit.'
As a result of the deputation the committee voted to postpone a discussion of their best value review proposals until a full council meeting on 28 March. A council spokeswoman said, 'It would be inappropriate to comment until after the full council meeting is held on Wednesday.'
* A group of community activists currently occupying Atherden Road Nursery and running it as a community facility with a drop-in centre for families and an after-school club, will face eviction at a High Court hearing this week.