Families of deaf children are being uprooted from their homes as cuts in education spending turn provision of services into a postcode lottery, according to new research.
One in ten families interviewed by the National Children’s Deaf Society (NCDS) said they had been forced to move to get the support they needed for their children. In addition, one in four thought they might have to do so in future – although one in three of these felt the move would be too difficult and stressful because of the current economic climate. In one case, that of ten-year-old Miles Baker, the child has had to move schools four times in the past four years before ending up in a specialist boarding school costing the authorities £35,000 a year. His parents also had to move from Hampshire to Lincolnshire to secure adequate facilities.
“It seems as though everything has been a battle,” said his father Andrew. “It shouldn’t have to be like that.”
