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Local families celebrate help into work and training

02 July 2009

Press Release Number: PR502

Local families who have pre-school children with disabilities have benefited from help into training and work following a pilot project managed by Redbridge Council.

Twenty seven families have been part of the Special Needs and Opportunities with Childcare Affordability Programme (SNOWCAP), which assists with affordable childcare costs so that parents can work or take up training courses. child holding a play ball to his mouth

Scheme described as 'godsend'

The families who have taken part over the past couple of years, met at the Child Development Centre in Barkingside for a celebratory event yesterday (Wednesday 1 July) to share experiences and meet all the people who have made this scheme possible.

The project, which is funded by the London Development Agency (LDA), ran from January 2007 until March 2009 and while no additional families are being accepted on to the scheme, funding for families in Redbridge who are already part of the project has been extended until December 2009.

Redbridge Council played a major role in managing the project, identifying suitable families in the area and helping them through the assessment process so they could receive the funding.

It's made a "big difference" to families

One parent who is benefiting from SNOWCAP is Lydia Allen, from Chadwell Heath. Her daughter Kehara who is three and a half years old, was born with cerebral palsy.

She described the scheme as a "Godsend" and added that it had made a "big difference" to her and her daughter's lives. young boy holding toddler girl for photo

Lydia said, "I found out about the scheme through my pre-school home visitor and I don't know how I would have coped without it. It enabled me to get back into work and to find a nursery close to where I live which is welcoming and loving to Kehara.

"I always wanted Kehara to go to a mainstream nursery because I wanted her to socialise with able-bodied children and have something to strive for. This nursery is just perfect and I would not have been able to afford it and go back to work without SNOWCAP.

She added: "I've been lucky enough to receive funding from the scheme for about two years now and since being made redundant from my job, it has now given me the opportunity to undertake a degree. Without SNOWCAP none of this would have been possible."

The project as helped parents "afford childcare and learn a new skill or secure employment"

Cllr Gary Monro, Cabinet Member for Children's Services, said, "This project has helped so many families in the Borough who have children with disabilities and otherwise would not have been able to afford childcare costs to learn a new skill or secure employment.

"We know how much pressure these families are under so anything we can do to assist to make their lives easier is to be applauded."