PARENTS in Worcestershire are being warned to use or lose council-funded nursery places.

Around £600,000 is wasted each year providing early education for children, which parents don't take up.

Now Worcestershire County Council has warned that it will cut back on provision if places are not used.

Alison Hitchins, head of Early Years and Childcare Service said: "We are in a position of over-funding nursery places at schools all over the county.

"We can't afford to continue funding places that aren't taken up and if head-teachers want us to maintain current levels of funding, more parents must take advantage of what is on offer."

From January 2005, of the 2,314 places available across the county, only 1,949 have been taken up, leaving 365 empty.

The majority of free places, consisting of five two-and-a-half hour sessions per child each week are in nurseries within local education authority schools.

But parents have the option of sending their children to participating private nurseries - which cost around £22 a day - for which the council will fund the equivalent number of sessions. But parents must meet the remainder of the cost.

The council is currently consulting with headteachers about the best way to increase take-up for funded places at schools, as those with many surplus places are faced with the option of increasing take-up or reducing places.

A spokesperson for the council's Early Years and Childcare Service said one reason for low-take-up is that many schools cannot offer longer sessions, so may not meet working parents' needs.

"Falling take-up was countrywide - with Worcestershire failing to buck the trend," she added.

But Rachel Wheeler, assistant manager of the private Meadows Nursery, Mulberry Tree Hill, which offers the service, said parents were keen to apply for the additional funding.

"We make the parents aware this is available to them and encourage them to apply, as it is in everybody's interests, particularly the children's."

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