MOTHERS have been expressing why children's centres are so vital amid fears that some may close.

Worcestershire County Council has placed 36 centres under review and wants suggestions about their future.

Councillor Marcus Hart, the cabinet member for health and wellbeing, said: "As well as providing for current service users, our hope is that the buildings will in future fulfil a wide range of functions that support and appeal to all members of the community.

"We're eager to hear from people who perhaps don’t regularly visit their local centre about what we can do to make the building as useful and appealing as possible."

The move has prompted members of Facebook support group Worcester Mums Network to share stories about how children's centres have provided invaluable support to them.

They hope to inspire parents to take part in the public consultation which is available at worcestershire.gov.uk/childrenscentres or in the centres. The consultation runs until Friday, January 29.

Siani Price, 33 Fort Royal area, founder of Worcester Mums Network

Worcester News:

 

I first used my local children's centre (Saffron) when I was pregnant with my daughter, because it's where my midwives were based.

It was so helpful having the service on my doorstep, and meant for a less stressful pregnancy as I knew help was just down the road.

As time went on, I attended my antenatal classes at the St John's children's centre and received invaluable information on childbirth and made some good friends too.

After the birth, I used the Lavender Centre for some wonderful baby sensory classes, met some fellow mums, and was able to receive my Health Start vitamins for myself and baby.

Further to this, I have received wonderful support from the breastfeeding support team, without which, breastfeeding would have been a lot more challenging.

The services provided by Worcestershire Early Help for parents, parents to be and children 0-five are hugely varied, wide reaching, and invaluable.

The idea of any of those services being diluted or stopped is horrific.

Councils may be forced to save pennies in the short term, but why can't they see the longer term impact of stopping these services?

It has been shown that good help and support in the early years has a longer reaching impact into the future, leading to better outcomes educationally and financially for families and communities.

We must let our local council know how vital these services are to us, our families and our community.

Short term savings will mean long term disaster for local families.

Please fill out the survey, let your feelings be known, and fight for our local children's centre services.

Jo Bruce, 38, Battenhall

Worcester News:

I moved with my family to Worcester 18 months ago and have found the Saffron Children's Centre to be a lifeline. The stay n' play sessions on Thursday and Friday have a friendly, welcoming environment with exciting activities for young children and informed, helpful staff.

Staff introduced me to local parents enabling me to make friends and when needed have offered advice on toddler behaviour, baby led weaning, sleep issues and just listened during difficult times.

By attending the play sessions and interacting with well trained staff and other children, my children have developed confidence and improved their social skills.

They love going each and have made friends.

Through the baby clinic I was able to track my children's weight regularly and had access to a health visitor when there were concerns with my son's growth. We love Saffron!

Katrina Walker

Worcester News:

My little boy, born July 2014, was found to be severe/profoundly deaf at the newborn hearing screen.

One of the things that got us both out of the house in those early days was advice from the health visitor to attend children's centre baby groups and classes.

Edward loved baby sensory and it gave us both an hour a week of fun and bonding time - we also went to bumps to babies where we chatted to other mums and the babies had some social time.

I now have an 8 week old daughter and have been eagerly checking out the children's centre classes so that she can attend them also.

It would be a real shame if these services were to be cut.

Sara Jayne Clark, Worcester

Worcester News:

My son Corey, almost two, currently uses the Saffron Children's Centre on Stanley Road, as it is our allocated one. Not only has the centre provided playgroup for Corey which also gives them snacks and drinks and a chance for messy play and song time it also provided my antenatal care.

All the staff at the Saffron are fantastic and so caring and they will answer any questions you have at all.

It has a secure location so the children can't just wander off and it offers so much variety for everyone.

Helen Mole, 35, Worcester

I first started using children's centres when pregnant with my first child four years ago.

I attended midwife appointments and childbirth classes there and found these really useful as a place to ask questions and get advice as well as meet other parents to be.

Once my baby was born, I visited groups at various children's centres which gave me a brilliant opportunity to get out of the house regularly in those hectic early days of newborn nappies and sleepless nights.

Over the years I have received advice on pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding, weaning, reusable nappies and baby carriers at groups held in children's centres and I consider them to be an absolutely vital resource for parents from all walks of life.

I truly hope the support they provide is recognised and that future mums get the opportunity to benefit in the same way I have.

Emily Colborne, 38, St John's

Like a lot of women, I entered the world of motherhood feeling bewildered, nervous, not knowing any other mums, wondering how on earth I would ever be brave enough to breastfeed outside the house, and keen to provide the possible best start in life for my son.

So I plucked up the courage to go along to the Bumps to Babies group at the Saffron Centre, only to be met by wonderfully friendly and knowledgeable staff, a well equipped, safe, fit-for-purpose building and a huge variety of creative activities, toys and sensory resources to aid the development of my child.

Six months on, my son and I have made many new friends, have been introduced to a wide range of support networks and activities and have made huge strides in our development and confidence directly as a result of the invaluable services offered by Worcester's children's centres.

Amy Woodhouse, Whittington

Worcester News:

My son, Noah, is almost two and our designated children's centre is Bluebell Wood.

I think the centres are invaluable. As a first time mum I would've been lost without them.

All the advice and support is on offer under one roof.

The best part for us are the free groups such as Bumps to Babies, Crawlers and Explorers and Stay and Play.

I started attending while pregnant and two years later we still love going.

It's not a normal playgroup as the staff are highly trained so they can advise you on all aspects of parenting and it's also a great way to make friends with other parents and carers.

I honestly feel that there is no better parenting resource than the children's centres, they are hubs of knowledge and supports.

Roxanne Leonard, 29, Tolladine

Worcester News:

I first became a parent at 19. I started using Buttercup Children's Centre while pregnant and attended a young parents group and it was fantastic.

I always felt welcomed, it was a lifeline for me as well as some parents who were a lot younger then me especially breastfeeding support and advice from the health visitor.

Now, ten years on I still regularly use children's centres Buttercup, Saffron, the group ran at the Tolly Centre with my two daughters who are 19 months and 10 months.

I feel the services they provide are vital for a lot of people.

It's their first steps into parenthood and with having your midwife and health visitors all in the same place make it so much more accessible for when you are ready for baby and toddler groups.

Emma Harcourt, 31, Upton-upon-Severn

Worcester News:

I was very lucky when I had Laylah three years ago, the children's centres were thriving - so much going on and so welcoming to a nervous new mum.

The staff were very friendly and always advertising classes on social media so always knew what was going on.

While attending with Laylah, I was very lucky to form a very close bond with a group of ladies, and our children have all become best of friends.

If it wasn't for the children's centre I would never have met these great women and I wonder how I would have coped without their support?

We need children's centres not only for the support for our little ones but us mums need the support too.

I truly hope all the parents' voices are heard and we can have these fantastic centres back thriving like they once were - we just need people to run them who have as much love them as us parents do.

Penny Broderick, on behalf of Worcestershire Nappy Advisory Service volunteers

Worcester News:

Worcestershire Nappy Advisory Service relies heavily on our local children's centres across Worcestershire.

We attend various groups held at the centres, our volunteers are invited to NCT groups, baby groups, antenatal groups, the local sling meets - all of these things are held at the children centres.

Without attending these groups we could not be saving the council the 140 tonnes of landfill we saved last financial year.

Our figures for this year will be available at the end of March but we expect to have exceeded this.

At £100 per tonne landfill tax, WNAS volunteers have helped save the county council over £20,000 in the last few years.

Once you add transport costs as well, that figure goes up to around £300 per tonne.

Without the Children's Centres hosting our volunteers at their various groups and activities, we could not achieve this.

Frances Thurlow, NCT breastfeeding counsellor and co-ordinator for Malvern Hills NCT

I help run two thriving Baby Latte groups (support groups for breastfeeding mums) based at Evergreen and Riverboats Children's Centres in Malvern and Upton and so I know first hand how important our local children's centres are when it comes to supporting parents.

Breastfeeding rates at six weeks in the reach of these centres is 20 per cent higher than the national average.

The figures speak for themselves.

Parents tell me how much they value the services the centres offer.

In addition they provide a vital social network that addresses the serious issue of isolation which can be so damaging for families.

I attend the centres' advisory board meetings and I know how dedicated and committed the staff are, working closely with health professionals and many other agencies, they do pioneering work.

Many of the problems families face stem from a poor start in life.

Our children's centres make a massive difference to the health and wellbeing of our families.