Last year in Orana for Early Years Children and Family Centre ?

MUCH anxiety surrounds the future prospects of the young special needs children who are cared for by the Early Years Children and Family Centre in Newry.

The Centre, which for many years has provided a warm, welcoming and most importantly safe place for young children with special needs to be cared for as their parents are at work, may have to close its doors if alternative suitable accommodation is not found towards the end of the month.

This is owing to the fact that the organisations lease at its current premises located in the Orana building on the Warrenpoint Road is due to come to an end on September 30 and despite “exhaustive efforts” on the part of the SHSCT alternative accommodation for the Newry branch of the organisation has yet to be found.

To say that the parents of those children who availed of the organisations many services such as The Nurture Cove, pre school, Reaching Further and after school programmes have been left feeling disillusioned by the prospect of the closure of the service which plays such an integral part in their lives would be quite the understatement.

One such parent who has been left unsure what the future may bring if the Early Years Centre does close its doors at the end of the month is Shannon Hughes, proud mother of 3 year old Elijah who is on the Autism Spectrum.

Shannon claims that she has been left not knowing if she can return to work after hearing the news that Early Years may have to withdraw its services from the community.

Distraught

“The Early Years Centre is located in the Orana building on the Warrenpoint Road. I have spoke to the parents in my group and we are all genuinely distraught. When we were told this we were crying because we were so heartbroken.

“I received a letter and in that letter the Southern Health and Social Care Trust and Early Years have stated that they have exhausted all avenues when it comes to getting another premises. The letter read:

“Dear Mrs Hughes we are writing to advise you that the lease which the Early Years, the organisation for young children, have at the Newry Early Years Children and Family Centre, will be coming to an end on September 30 2024.

"The Southern Health and Social Care Trust and Early Years have been working hard over the last number of months to secure an alternative accommodation to provide these vital services. Unfortunately all options have been exhausted at this time. Regrettably this means the Early Years organisation is unable to continue to offer the supported day care community pathway services for relative children with disabilities after this time

Both the Nurture Cove, pre-school and Reaching Further, after-school programmes will cease from September 30th 2024 onward.”

“They are still searching for another premises and the funding is not going away, the funding is still there. It is just finding a suitable premises that would be able to house disabled children. I feel that this is the roadblock they are hitting. Orana was such a perfect venue that they are finding it quite difficult to find facilities that would match this”

Although Shannon’s son Elijah may have only been availing of the services at Early Years for a brief period of time according to Mrs Hughes she could already see the positive impact that it was having on the almost 3 year old who she claims finds it hard to be in a group of neurotypical children his age.

Nurture Cove

“Early Years provided a service called Nurture Cove which is a special needs daycare for children with severe disabilities such as Autism and ADHD

“Elijah, who will be 3 next month, started the Nurture Cove daycare in Early Years at the start of the month. My son has numerous disabilities and Early Years is the only daycare that can take him. I also have an 8 month old daughter, her name is Fae.

“Whilst we have only been availing of the services at Early Years for over a week the respite that it has given my family is absolutely phenomenal. Elijah was excited to go in and you could really see his social aspects opening up as it is really hard for him to be in a group of neurotypical children. However to be in a group were he is seen as average is so important for him and the practitioners have commented on how far he has come only in a week. It has also helped our family.

“Because we are getting respite we are able to spend time with our younger daughter Fae and we are able to have better times in the evening because Elijah is tired out from daycare. It was helping every aspect of our lives.

“I cannot explain how devastated we are to be losing this. When I first had Elijah my parents were able to take care of him but because of his high needs my mother is unable to care for Elijah but would be able to care for Fae. However since there are no daycares that would be able to take such a high needs child in for this length of time if Early Years were able to stay open I would be able to come of maternity and come back to work. However because I cannot find day care for him I have to stay at home and be his full time carer. I work in a family run business, Pet Connection, on the Dublin Road. They are looking me back and I would be devastated to have to say no because I do love my job.”

Determination

Shannon, like many of the parents that have children in Early Years, remains resolute in her resolve that alternative accommodation can be found for the organisation at a new site in Newry.

“There are a lot of open venues in Newry. We have been reaching out to MLA's and the council to see what they can do and what support they can put in place. There is an Autism Community Family group on Facebook and people are reaching out to try and find out if there any premises that can be used. This is just families going out themselves to try and find something suitable for their children. This highlights how needed this facility is for us.

“ Families are going out of their way and checking letting agents to see if anything is coming up. They are sharing and posting on public groups to see if anyone has anything that would be suitable. I know that even the staff in Early Years are desperately trying to find somewhere.

“We just want to find somewhere suitable, that is all we want. We want to continue with the very vital support that we have at the moment.”

Responding to the concerns of parents who have children at Early Years the SHSCT stated that they are continuing to seek an alternative form of accommodation for the organisation.

The Early Years Organisation has a contract with the Trust to provide day care and community pathway services for children with disabilities.

“The Early Years Organisation independently lease the premises on the Warrenpoint Road from a third party to deliver these services.

“Regrettably, Early Years has been unable to secure suitable alternative accommodation once their lease ends on September 30 and will no longer be able to provide the Nurture Cove, pre-school and Reaching Further, after school programmes.

“Both the Southern Trust and Early Years have been working together over the last number of months to identify alternative accommodation across our own Trust estate, other community and voluntary organisations, and via local estate agencies and the business community.

“Unfortunately, we have not been able to identify any suitable accommodation that meets the Department of Health’s childminding and day care minimum standards for children under 12 years, at this time.

“As we appreciate the value of these programmes to families, the Trust is continuing to seek possible alternative provision for the children and families who use these services.

“Keyworkers are working with families and exploring possible options for the 26 children currently using these services.

“We welcome support from any other local community partners who may have suggestions regarding suitable alternative accommodation in the area.”