'I quit work- because I can't find childcare for my disabled daughter'

A mother forced to quit work because she cannot find any holiday clubs for her SEND daughter says the scarcity of places is worsened by her being between school and nursery.

After weeks of research, a football group for one hour on a Monday was all Ana Chivu could find for her four-year-old daughter Giulia. The child with special educational needs and disabilities is non-verbal autistic, still in nappies and has no danger awareness.

Ana, 30, told the Mirror: “I love my job and it was family-friendly hours – I worked for a medical company Monday to Friday, 9am to 1pm.

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“I want to be working but resigned last month because I had to make the right decision for my daughter.

“I found some holiday clubs that sounded good but as soon as I mentioned she was in nappies and needed help with feeding they said they couldn’t accommodate her.”

Parents pay an average of £1,076 per child for summer holiday clubs, children’s charity Coram revealed. And just 9% of councils in England have enough places for SEND kids. Being in the gap between nursery and school intensifies the difficulty in finding holiday clubs, as kids are often unable to access either sector.

Ana said if the government wants to cut personal independence payments and get more people into work, it needs to improve special educational needs support

Ana, who lives in Barnsley, South Yorks, with husband Radoslav, 35, a hygiene supervisor, added: “I‘ve read about respite breaks but because she is not in statutory school age, these do not apply to Giulia either.”

Anna Bird, chief of disability charity Contact, added: “Some families with disabled children dread the long summer break because they don’t have access to childcare.”

Labour’s Peter Swallow, who was at a Parliamentary drop-in last week where more than 60 MPs met families of SEND children, said: “I want to see better support for vulnerable children and their parents.”

The Department of Education said: “We recognise school holidays can be a pressurised time for parents, particularly for those with children who have SEND, which is why we are continuing to fund free holiday clubs through the Holiday Activities and Food programme.

“Councils must ensure sufficient, high-quality provision is available
for children with SEND who are eligible in their areas.”