Hello everyone,
My Son is currently attending a Pre-School three mornings a week; it has taken quite a while for my son to settle but is doing okay. I had a CAF meeting with the Nursery Manager, Nursery Owner, the Health Visitor and the Family Support Worker to discuss his progress with regard to his EHCP.
As the meeting went on I believed that my concern about my son’s eating and sleeping was completely ignored by the Professionals involved and their main focus was for my son to attend the setting for four mornings a week (this would mean he would be using his full fifteen hours a week funding grant). I was trying to explain that until my son is sleeping better and is fit and well I would prefer him just to do the three mornings a week. The issue was brought up that no matter how my son was, he should be attending nursery, that means any cough, cold, minor illness he should attending. He is coming home from nursery exhausted, grumpy and hitting out at me, and I was not prepared to send him in ill or to do the other two days as it would be far too much.
I felt that I was just not listened to throughout the meeting and no matter what I said I was just being pushed into my son attending for the full fifteen hours. I become very distressed and upset by this and by the end of the meeting I was in tears. At the end of the meeting I was not reassured by any of the team or asked how I felt about the meeting, so left feeling emotional, and not listened too.
I wanted to ask if anyone else has had this experience. Does anyone else feel that they are forced for their children for the full fifteen hours? I sometimes wonder if the nursery staff are forcing these hours on parents so they can claim for the full grant and therefore more money.