THURROCK’S portfolio holder for health says there is a chance the Community Mums and Dads system can be saved.
Speaking on Monday (17 August), Cllr Barbara Rice said: “I spoke with the lead petitioner last week and I was very impressed with her commitment and determination. I promised her that she and I would meet with our new Director of Public Health, Ian Wake, to see what could be done.
“I also looked carefully at the situation to see exactly what was provided at exactly what cost – and what the cost of stopping the service now would be.
“As Ian and I looked more closely at the service it became clear that there were costs to the taxpayer if it were to close now.
“It would cost more to run the service, but we both agreed that we would rather pay out for a service people want, instead of paying out for no service at all.
“This would also give us time to fully involve residents about the way future services are planned – no contest, really.”
