MP warns against cutting Thanet children's centre

A local MP has urged Kent County Council (KCC) not to cut a Sure Start service in Margate.

Millmead Children's Centre faces an uncertain future after the council said it was considering not renewing more than £400,000 in funding.

"Short term cuts will have long term consequences," wrote Labour MP for East Thanet Polly Billington on Facebook.

The council said it faced financial challenges and needed to make more than £100m of savings by 2026.

Children's services were available at other sites, it added.

Jobs could be at risk, as well as a food bank and discounted food subscription service that operates from the site if the funding is cut, according to staff at Millmead.

The centre is part of a nationwide programme of Sure Start services for children aged seven and under and their families.

It offers information, advice and support to parents, as well as childcare and early learning, health services, family support and parental outreach.

"They [Kent County Council] must not cut the funding for Millmead which provides such vital support for this community," wrote Ms Billington.

"We can’t ignore the growing gap in achievement between students from wealthy areas and deprived ones.

"Closing this gap is important for all of us: for fairness, for the chance to achieve and for economic growth in Thanet."

Seashells Children's Centre in Sheerness is also under threat from council cuts and it is understood some jobs may be at risk, reports the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Actor Shaun Williamson, who played Barry Evans in the BBC series EastEnders, has joined a campaign to save the two Sure Start centres in Kent.

He said it would be "absolutely awful" to lose them as they do "amazing work".

Sue Chandler, cabinet member for integrated children’s services at KCC, said: “In light of the significant financial pressures KCC is facing, we are looking at how we deliver our services to ensure that they are efficient and cost effective.

“By not renewing these contracts when they naturally come to an end in March 2025, we can make a much-needed efficiency saving whilst continuing to provide essential services for families and young people in these areas."

A public consultation into the proposal not to renew the contracts is open until 22 September.

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