Making play inclusive

Parks for Play half term playscheme starts today

With the total number of places for holiday childcare continuing to fall, prices for childcare continuing to rise, what has become of the government's attempts to make childcare more available and affordable?  And what of our most vulnerable children facing social exclusion because of their individual needs, often disability, or their families in desperate need of support, particularly during holidays?

In Birmingham at least, Parks for Play continues to address some of this need, running fully inclusive after-school playcare and playschemes during holidays.  However this appears to be the only only service of it's kind across the UK, despite the government recognising that families without good access to childcare are less able to remain in work.

Where is our Childcare?

Funding decision set to force parents out of work and onto benefits.  See below, blog written by Amanda Bradley:

There are well over 200 after school clubs in Birmingham catering for working families,  if they do not have disabled children.  We are asking Birmingham City Council to ensure that European funding made available to support access to employment and inclusion, fills the gap in specialist childcare. If the city council invest in specialist childcare provision to remove barriers to OUR employment they will save TEN times their investment in reduced benefits.

Please sign our  petition and join us in Kings Heath on Saturday 5th October 12.30 pm to 2 pm outside the new Baptist Church opposite ASDA 80 High St Kings Heath Birmingham, B14 7JZ  - Please see event on facebook

Children's area and free refreshments available

  

Parks for Play is a charity that has set up the 1st & ONLY specialist childcare provision in this city. The provision called Playwell, because it delivers play very well, runs from Uffculme school in Moseley. It offers high quality childcare to families with disabled children that need to work, study or commit time to siblings .  Families pay standard childcare fees which do not cover running costs because we need higher numbers of staff to cater for our children. Parks for Play works to raise the shortfall, keeping fees affordable & equitable by continuously applying for grants.

This year our expected  funding has been frozen for 6 months. This will result in 20 families not being able to stay in their jobs & a 2nd specialist provision in Handsworth not opening. We are waiting for FLEXIBLE SUPPORT FUND which Job Centre Plus district managers can use flexibly to best meet the needs of the local population. One in four families in this city has a child with an additional need. 2013 CAF Holiday Childcare Survey says 79% of families with disabled children not in work cited  insufficiently specialist childcare as the barrier. 

We ARE the local population and we would like to work, to study and have childcare when we need it.

Blog by Amanda Bradley Parks for Play chair

Please sign our petition on

http://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/where-is-our-childcare

Parks for Play

2 Vicarage Road

Kings Heath B14 7RA

info@parks4play.org

0121 441 4682

Keeping Playwell

Playwell is under threat.  Laura Watts writes:

An afterschool playcare scheme for children with disabilities is under threat of closure, putting more than 50 families under strain and potentially back on benefits.  Playwell specialist play care enables parents of disabled children to go out to work. It is the only club of its kind in more than 250 afterschool providers in Birmingham.

Funding cuts mean the scheme faces the axe, a prospect that will leave many families struggling to cope, and additional Saturday provision under threat.  The cost to the government in terms of families returning to benefits is estimated to be £480,000, not including emergency respite care.

Playwell was set up by Parks for Play, a Kings Heath charity that promotes inclusive community activities for children, in response to demand from local parents with disabled children.  In addition to caring for children, the project has led to the creation of 20 jobs – an achievement that should not be overlooked according to chair of Parks For Play Amanda Bradley:

Many of these parents wanted to work but were failing to find suitable childcare provision.  We believe that it is a right, not a luxury, for families to have equitable access to work, particularly in this economic climate. 

Playwell has enabled twenty parents to gain or maintain employment this year where potential benefit traps loomed.  The eventual hard-won investment in Playwell has saved the council at least ten times their outlay in benefit support and the impact on children and families meets a host of desirable outcomes for parents and child health, wealth and well-being. Now the service is under threat

Parks For Play raises funding to subsidise the true cost of Playwell so that families with disabled children can pay standard childcare fees in line with equalities legislation.

Grants from Birmingham City Council through Early Years and Childcare, Shorts Breaks for Disabled Children and significantly the Employment Access Team, Development & Culture and the Flexible Support Fund from Job Centre Plus ensured that this service emerged and survived.

Playwell runs from Uffculme ASD specialist school in Moseley which has lent critical support to the initiative serving children from a number of local schools. It is hoped that the model will be duplicated at Hamilton specialist school in Handsworth. Tributes to Playwell have poured in on the news that it may have to close:

Parents say:

Without this service I would not have been able stay in work. Playwell has really progressed my sons social interaction and development. 

I can’t thank Playwell enough. They have saved our lives this year. 

Playwell allows me to keep my job going in very difficult circumstances. It has really broadened my son's experiences.

Amanda Bradley added

Disabled children and their families face the poverty of forced unemployment, social exclusion and immense pressures.Playwell also offers families emergency respite for parents dealing with crisis or other ongoing family commitments.

It gives children with additional needs the opportunity to socialise with peers in their community developing in creative ways that can only be facilitated through play.