Caring centre shows the way (From Barry And District News)

Caring centre shows the way

A BARRY child care centre is helping working parents to hang on to their jobs and steer clear of the bank manager.

With day care costs reaching £100 per week, and places increasingly hard to find, many Barry parents are having huge difficulties taking care of their children during the summer holidays.

But a local Barry charity in one of the town's most deprived areas may be showing the way forward.

Organisers at the Gibbonsdown Children's Centre ask parents earning under £12,000 only £6 for a full day's child care.

"Child care can be far too expensive," said Centre Manager Gill Bloom.

"I have had parents coming to me in tears because they can't find anywhere to leave their children.

"We aim to provide accessible child care to allow the parents to become more self reliant." Gill Bloom says that aside from losing their jobs, there is even a danger of children being left on their own if day care is inaccessible.

"We have seen very young children being left on their own, and in today's climate, that is very worrying," she said.

"You need somewhere safe to leave your children, somewhere with a proven track record.

We are inspected for the safety of our play areas and you know here that the children are properly supervised."

Gibbensdown Children's Centre became a registered charity in June this year and currently receives funds from the European Union, the Vale of Glamorgan Council and the National Assembly as well as a number of other smaller sponsors.

The centre organises trips out in their minibus every day for children over eight. This Thursday they are going to Longleat House and Safari Park in Wiltshire.

"Children get opportunities here that they don't find at home," Gill Bloom added.

"There should be more centres like ours."