Michael Marra MSP is leading a debate in the Scottish Parliament on Thursday 8th May about wraparound care for children with Additional Support Needs.
Members from all the major parties will speak in the debate on 8th May and then the relevant Scottish Government Minister will be asked to respond.
Here is a copy of the motion that Michael Marra MSP will present to Parliament:
Motion S6M-16503: Wraparound Care for Children with Additional Support Needs
That the Parliament understands that local authorities have a statutory duty to provide out-of-school and holiday care for children classified as “in need”, which includes those who are disabled; is concerned by reports that many families of children with additional support needs are unable to find out-of-school care during holiday periods, including in Dundee and its surrounding areas; believes that the struggle to balance care-giving with employment can lead to routines being disrupted and is a cause of significant distress to families; further believes that reductions to local authority and third-sector organisations’ budgets have contributed to these issues, and notes the view that the Scottish Government and local authorities should take action to ensure that families of children with additional support needs do not face another summer of uncertainty and disruption.
The issues raised by Michael Marra MSP were also highlighted by a recent survey by Shared Care Scotland which reported that only 2% of parent carers in Scotland feel that their disabled child is included in their local community. This statistic highlights the pressing need for change.
It is important that MSPs are made aware that the lack of out of school care for disabled children is an issue that affects families right across Scotland.
To help raise the profile of this issue, you can contact your MSP and ask them to attend or speak in the debate on 8th May.
This is an email template that you could use to contact your MSP (feel free to adjust or add in your own story when writing to your MSP).
You can use the search function on this page to find out the email addresses for your MSPs.
