Every child should have equitable access to attend daycare safely.

I can only speak from my personal perspective and experiences as a mother, but I know this is affecting many more children and their families around Australia with a variety of health conditions.

My sweet Harry is 3 years old (diagnosed at 2 years and 4 months of age), he cannot manage his own Type 1 diabetes, an adult is needed to perform all of the tasks to keep him safe 24/7.

Managing Type 1 diabetes in a toddler presents challenges due to their developmental stage, including difficulty communicating symptoms, unpredictable activity levels, and picky eating habits.

Every day, we face constant monitoring, fear of hypoglycaemia, and making insulin and food decisions for our child. A toddler's limited cognitive skills prevent them from understanding or managing their own condition, placing the primary responsibility entirely on caregivers.

Are there supports from the government for Harry to attend daycare?

• NDIS - No supports for Type 1 diabetes
• Inclusion Support Program - Does not support Type 1 Diabetes management

Educators are expected to perform the job of a nurse without the formal qualifications to adequately care for a child with Type 1 diabetes in an Early Childhood Education and Care environment. 

Interesting fact: Insulin is a high-risk (high-alert) schedule 4 medication. If a person with diabetes takes insulin correctly, it can save their life. However, insulin overdose can be life-threatening.

Can you imagine being expected as an educator (who is not a nurse) to perform such important tasks on a small child without the required training, without accreditation and without regular support from government bodies and funding?

I know I’m not alone, please feel free to connect if you are fighting the same uphill battle for your child.

While the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) Early Childhood Approach for children under 9 years of age (ECEI) claims to aim for inclusion, many children with disabilities and medical conditions are unsupported by the NDIS if the child does not also have an additional condition &/or additional developmental delay, regardless of their existing permanent disability or medical condition like Type 1 Diabetes.

The National Inclusion Support Program (ISP) available to Early Childhood and Education Care Providers (ECEC) also claims to help services address barriers to inclusion. 

The Inclusion Support Program’s intent is:

• To ensure all children’s experiences are recognised and valued.
• To ensure all children have equitable access to resources and participation, and opportunities to demonstrate their learning and value difference.

The Inclusion Support Program (ISP) aligns with the NDIS Early Years Approach (ECEI) for children under 9, so more often than not, if your child isn’t eligible for the NDIS ECEI, chances are they won’t be eligible for the Inclusion Support either. 

Irrelevant of whether ECEC is mandatory or compulsory from a national perspective, we know most families have financial obligations that require participation in the workforce, currently these are the choices us parents of children with medical needs are faced with.

We know the benefits of inclusion and socialisation in ECEC settings for all developing children, children with additional needs should not be left behind. 

ECEI claim to focus on inclusive practises, where children with and without disabilities learn and play together in the same environments, promoting social development for all. 

• I am fighting this cause for my son.
• I am fighting this cause for all children with disabilities, medical conditions and additional needs who are being left behind without adequate support provided to enable access to ECEC. 
• I am fighting this cause for Early Learning Educators who deserve to be adequately trained, receive regular support and funded adequately to enable them to provide quality care for children with additional needs safely. 

Let’s lobby for systemic, proactive, all-inclusive change by the government collectively for our kids with medical needs to have the choice and ability to attend ECEC safety and thrive.