I MUST write to you to express my dismay at the proposed borough council, social services, budget cuts to the voluntary sector, Children's Services.

Considering that the Government is clearly placing a much greater emphasis on prevention and wants to go beyond the essential, but narrow objective of keeping children safe, to a much broader one of encouraging their well-being, I am amazed and saddened that Swindon Borough Council have proposed these cuts.

The Green Paper on Children's Services "Every Child Matters" refers to Home-Start and the future potential of home-visiting services. Surely Swindon, too, can see this potential and can the results, as Home-Start have been supporting families in Swindon for 21 years.

There is a robust, financial argument for Home-Start's preventative approach. Trained, supported volunteers, visiting families every week, helping to prevent family breakdown are very cost effective. The long term costs of not intervening early, can be considerable, involving schools, health, social services and the police. Add to this, the cost of anti- social behaviour from children and young people as they grow, because practical help and support was not regularly available during their formative years, then the council's proposed cuts are a recipe for future disaster.

I ask your readers to speak out and contact their borough councillors and urge them to reconsider these cuts.

Jan Aylward

Home-Start Swindon

Milton Road