Am feeling a bit down.... funding related :-(

[Ineedmorepatience]

In the area that I work in there is a little boy [2yrs ish] with a physical disability, his parents want him to come to my setting but cant afford to pay for him.

We were hoping that as he is getting DLA he would qualify for 2 yr old funding, sadly this is not the case.

The funding is based on the same criteria as FSM's. His parents both work and dont qualify.

So, this little boy with disabilities cant get funding for pre school because the funding is based on what his parents earn!!

How can that be right!!

It's not right.

They can apply for a statement perhaps?

I hope that is being done, the trouble is I dont actually know the family I have just been told about them. I am going to try and find out more about them next week.

I have been told about him by 2 different people who work at our CDC and was told today by someone from Early yrs that his family are seeking funding from a charity.

I was disgusted and asked why he isnt being funded by early yrs

Can you offer them a reduced no of sessions a week that would make it more affordable for them to fund themselves to start with (and then support them with the SA?)

Yes definitely, we are very cheap really they maybe dont realise how cheap we are. I get the feeling they dont want to contact us if they cant get funding.

I am going to phone my contact at the cdc on Monday and try to find out. We would definitely start the SA process, although I would like to think it would have been started but I wont hold my breath

That's sad, but children don't get 2 year old funding because they would benefit from it. They get it because they are deprived.

Yes and I do understand that there has to be a criteria but .....

My area is not a deprived area and there is an asumption that everyone who lives there is loaded but the house prices and council tax is sky high so even when parents are both working they can still lack funds.

That's awful :(

We live in one of the pilot areas. DS1 missed out on the first phase, when all kids got it because he was a month too old. DS2 got a place in the next phase, regardless of income, on grounds of his delays and his brother. I'm guessing the criteria have changed since it's been implemented country wide.