The mother of a child with a disability has said she is struggling to find specialised care that can meet her daughter’s needs.
Stacey’s daughter, seven-year-old Bailey, has Cohen syndrome, a rare genetic condition which can cause neurodevelopmental delay and visual impairment.
The mum, from Huddersfield, said she would like to return to work, but has yet to find anywhere in the area offering the specific type of service able to look after Bailey.
“As a parent to a disabled child, you feel like you’re fighting for their education, the right type of care – as much of a normal life as possible,” she said.
“There shouldn’t still be discrimination against disabled children, but there is and it’s not fair.”
A DfE spokesperson said the government was committed to investing £200m over the next three years in a national training package.
This would support children with SEND across all stages of the education system, from ages 0-25, they said.
Bailey attends school five times a week, but only on a part-time basis, which means Stacey is unable to return to her job as a casino manager.
She said it could be “overwhelming at times” and called for more support to be available to parents seeking childcare for children with additional needs.
“Should we not be trying to make their life easier for them, so they can access what everyone else gets?” she said.
“There’s not enough people trained up with qualifications to be able to deal with children like Bailey.”
Stacey’s story speaks to a wider problem in the sector, according to Family Fund, which supports families with disabled and seriously ill children.
The charity recently polled 1,000 parents of children with disabilities and found nearly one third could not find suitable care.
