When I created this petition, I was one parent trying to understand why my daughter had been passed between services for years without receiving meaningful support for Selective Mutism.

I never expected hundreds of other families to come forward with similar stories.

I am doing this because families in West Sussex have remortgaged their homes to fund private support.

I am doing this because parents have gone into debt to pay for assessments and therapy that should not be out of reach.

I am doing this because I have spoken to adults who reached adulthood without support and now live isolated lives because their Selective Mutism was never properly understood or treated.

I am doing this because some children are at crisis point, their anxiety escalating year after year, while families are left with nowhere to turn.

I am doing this because early intervention could be remarkably simple for many children. Free training already exists.  In many cases, an informed parent and an informed teacher, supported with the right guidance, can completely change the trajectory of a child's life.

I am doing this because Selective Mutism continues to fall between services. Families are often told it is an anxiety disorder, yet struggle to access meaningful support. Professional guidance recognises a role for Speech and Language Therapists in supporting children with Selective Mutism, and many families are forced to access this expertise privately through specialist providers. Other areas of the country have successfully commissioned pathways involving Speech and Language Therapy and multidisciplinary support. Children in West Sussex deserve access to the same opportunities. Instead, many families find themselves passed between services, with no clear pathway to help. We know this is ultimately a commissioning decision, but children and families are living with the consequences.

I am doing this because children in West Sussex deserve the same opportunities and support available to children in other parts of the country.

This week our campaign was featured by the BBC, alongside the stories of other West Sussex families and contributions from SMiRA. Since then, more parents have come forward, more stories have been shared, and more people have realised they are not alone.

West Sussex County Council and NHS Sussex have now publicly acknowledged concerns and confirmed they are reviewing local guidance and pathways. That is a welcome step, but families need to see meaningful change follow.

I now eagerly await to hear whether the West Sussex scrutiny committee will select this issue for discussion at its June meeting. I have also reached out to my MP and will continue working with the West Sussex Parent Carer Forum, SMiRA and other supporters to ensure these voices are heard.

This campaign has never been about blaming schools or individual professionals. Many have worked incredibly hard to support our children. The issue is the absence of a clear, accessible pathway that families can rely upon when they need help.

Most importantly, this campaign has helped families find one another.

Parents who thought they were alone are now talking to each other. They are sharing experiences, advice and support. Friendships are forming. Children are meeting other children who understand what they are going through.

For years many of these children have been unable to use their voices when they needed them most.

Until that changes, we will keep using ours.

Thank you for every signature, every share, every message and every story.

Joanna