Lancing mum fears loss of ‘lifeline’ children and family centres

Julie Lester said she relied heavily on centres in Shoreham and Lancing for support when her children, now aged six and ten, were born prematurely.

West Sussex County Council has proposed closing the majority of sites in the county, which provide support for parents and children under five.

A redesign of the council’s Early Help provision would see services targeted at the most vulnerable, but Julie has argued the building themselves are essential sanctuaries.

“They were a lifeline for me in those early days,” she said.

“I did struggle a bit having them both, so knowing I had somewhere to go that was welcoming with friendly staff. It was just so important for me.

“It’s really upsetting to think parents going forwards might not have the benefit of them. I would have felt much more isolated without them.”

Julie said she relied on the centres from pregnancy, where there were breastfeeding support groups, and as her children grew up for play groups, toy libraries, sensory rooms and ‘endless’ activities.

They could also attend therapy sessions run by professionals, such as speech and language classes, in a more welcoming environment than a hospital.

Centres offer an opportunity for parents to get together and support each other while their children play safely.

Julie said she made ‘so many’ friends at the centres that stopped her getting lost in parenthood.

The closures would leave a ‘massive gap’ in the community, she said, that would disproportionately affect women and children.

County councillors and officials have argued the centre-based approach does not always reach the most vulnerable people who need the services most.

Instead, targeted support would be offered to those considered most in need.

Julie has called this approach ‘short-sighted’. Not only are the centres vital community hubs, she said, but neglecting those not currently considered most ‘in need’ would see those groups become more vulnerable eventually.

The proposals are still being debated by county councillors. Read more here: Plans to shut majority of children and family centres ‘part of strategy to modernise and re-target services’