Mum vows to fight for her daughter’s education

A DETERMINED mum whose daughter with special needs couldn't start Montessori school this week because nursing support hours had not been approved, has vowed to fight for her little girl's right to education.

A last minute delay in allocating hours due to alleged application inconsistencies means that little Willow Carroll has to stay at home, despite having secured a Montessori place under the ECCE Scheme

The four-year-old from outside Navan suffers from spastic quadriplegia cerebral palsy and epilepsy and was sent home with palliative care after she was born in December 1, 2016.

The little fighter clung onto life and survived but is peg fed, unable to talk and on various medications for her complex issues.

Her mum Tracy has worked with the Montessori school over a number of months and funding for the necessary level five equipment at the premises had been approved by AIMS Better Start Programme

She has pledged to fight for her daughter's education and says the system is discriminatory against children with special needs whose parents have to fill out endless applications and beg for funding just so their children can access schooling.

In a letter to Tracy, the HSE's Disability Meath say that the application was refused by reasons including an apparent failure to sign the applications correctly by Enable Ireland.

The mum-of-two says she is “furious” that her daughter can't attend school because forms weren't filled out properly and that she was only told of the decision just days ahead of the start of term.

She has also vowed to stand up to the system for other parents who may not have the courage or know how to do so.

"We had everything in place. ECCE approved the place for Willow and Fiona Rochford was only too delighted to take her at Munchkins Montessori where her older brother Noah went," said Tracy.

"I worked for months with the school and AIMS getting everything in place that Willow needed and I was told the necessary paperwork was filed by Enable Ireland to facilitate Willow with the necessary 15 hours nursing support at the school.

"We were all so excited to see her start at Munchkins and her teacher Fiona had even bought a My Generation doll in a wheelchair to teach the other children about diversity and inclusion.

"Last Thursday afternoon after days of being sent from Billy to Jack in phone calls, I finally received an email to say that Willow wasn't getting the hours, basically because forms hadn't been filled in correctly.

"I was also told I needed a home care package in place to get the hours - I wasn't told this before. I really feel that Willow is being discriminated against.

"Other parents just have to apply for an ECCE place and it's all fine but parents like John and I have to fill in endless forms for necessary services to get our children a place in school - a place they should have an automatic right to.

"Her brother Noah is gutted. He was so looking forward to walking Willow into her first day at school. Noah is seven and has idolised his sister from day one, though struggles to accept why she is in pain.

"Willow has a life-limiting condition. She fights every single day to survive so why should she have to fight for her basic right to education.”

The HSE and Enable Ireland say that while they cannot comment on individual cases, they will follow up directly with the family “as a matter of urgency”.

Meanwhile the Ombudsman for Children confirmed that they have received a complaint and are looking into it.