Children & Families

City’s crèche madness

By The Basa ⋅ March 6, 2008 ⋅  Email this post ⋅  Print this post ⋅ Post a comment

It transpired on television last night that six of the eight crèches in Edinburgh would be closing forthwith without any consultation at all. So much for the listening FibDem/SNP administration who are now showing that childcare in Edinburgh is in it’s biggest crisis in living memory.

EdSucks has received about 20 32 emails this morning concerning this from creche workers who first found out that they were being made redundant on the BBC’s Reporting Scotland. We understand that some members of staff were telephoned yesterday with the news. That’s our caring council and their web of council-owned companies for you.

The six crèches marked for closure are Portobello, Leith Victoria, Craiglockhart, Drumbrae, Kirkliston and Gracemount. The two that are remaining open are Ainslie Park and the Royal Commonwealth Pool. Of course the Commonwealth Pool is closing for a couple of years for refurbishment so really they are closing 87.5% of creche places in the city.

The council department/company behind the closures is Edinburgh Leisure who continue to pour cash into the Ratho Climbing Centre which continues to make massive losses and currently spends between 12-14k each month just to empty their sceptic tank. Later this year, Edinburgh Leisure are also funding an all expenses paid Awards Dinner Dance where attenees are asked to “dress to impress” and are to be provided with free transport to and from the venue which is is the Ratho Climbing Centre.

Excellent work from the department who are willing to fund a free booze-up with transport included but tell the 18,500 children who use the crèche facilities each year to go and get fcuked. To make matters more of a farce, staff at the crèches who were told by telephone that their jobs were gone were also told not to speak about it publicly or they would have disciplinary action taken against them.

This will have knock on effects for the health service as well. At present a huge percentage of the users of the city’s crèches are mothers who suffer from the effects of post natal depression and are referred by their doctor.

Another nightmare for the city’s parents and children. First we had the primary schools closing then not closing. The secondary schools being rebuilt then not rebuilt now we have the creches closing. What the fcuk are these politicians playing at? Balanced the budget my arse - this is a huge imbalance.

This is so serious for the families of Edinburgh that we at EdSucks urge the Evening News to immediately throw their weight into a high profile campaign similar to the Sick Kids campaign to Save Edinburgh’s Crèches.

Random Posts you may have missed

• April 30, 2007 -- It woz us that dun it - sayz laybur
• June 23, 2006 -- Whistleblower heads to court
• July 20, 2006 -- New Labour’s NHS - them and us
• June 2, 2005 -- Planning breach their own regulations
• October 17, 2006 -- Maginnis goes for closure on renowned community resource

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