I WAS privileged to be invited to Sheenagh Davis’ MBE celebrations (Warning given at MBE party, Hereford Times, February 26).

I have visited the HOPE Family Centre and was incredibly impressed by the range of services provided and the emotional and practical support offered to parents.

Being a parent is a wonderful, life-enhancing experience. But parenting can be hard work and at times, a fraught and difficult experience.

That’s why it is so important that all parents, men as well as women, can access support and advice at children’s centres such as HOPE. As well as parenting advice and early years education, the centre has encouraged many parents to take the first step back into education, which can be incredibly daunting for parents who didn’t enjoy school.

Sheenagh is absolutely right that long-term financial commitment is crucial to supporting families with young children. Children’s life chances are largely determined by their first three years of life: investing in families with very young children reaps huge benefits, not only for them, but for society as a whole.

In December 2013 figures from the Child Poverty Action Group showed that one in five children in Herefordshire grow up in poverty.

I am proud of the investment that the last Labour government made in nursery education and in SureStart centres. It is incredibly short-sighted that both central and local government have cut budgets to children’s centres.

Savings do need to be made but cuts to early years education and family support are short sighted. Cuts in funding will end up costing society – and taxpayers – more money in the long term.

Children who struggle at primary school are more likely to leave school with no qualifications and be long-term unemployed.

SALLY PRENTICE Labour Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for North Herefordshire