THE decision to close the Handsworth Avenue Day Care Centre has been taken without any public consultation, a policy which the council holds as one of its principles.

Since then, I have been actively campaigning with a number of parents and others to keep the centre open.

At present, both our children attend the nursery four days a week, and our eldest son has attended for the last four years.

In August, I took the first steps towards my dream of becoming a teacher, and enrolled on a course at Waltham Forest College. To enable me to do this, I needed a commitment from the nursery that my youngest could increase his attendance to four days per week. I received verbal confirmation while, all the time, social services knew that the nurserys future was in doubt.

The search for alternative nursery places has been really difficult. Handsworth set such high standards, and I naturally want the best for my children.

After four weeks, I have only found a place for my youngest child, but settling him into a new environment is proving really difficult, and costing me more money per week in the process.

My oldest son starts school in the new year, but my partner will now have to use two weeks of his holiday entitlement to look after him while I continue with my college studies.

Given the government's much publicised commitment to recruiting new teachers, I am really disillusioned by this whole experience.

SANDRA WOODWARD, Larkswood

Road, Chingford.