I care for James my son on my own, whilst also caring for my 84 year old mother who has mobility issues. I have a very active neurodivergent child who demands my full attention. Having to do this whilst working a full time job is hard to say the least and trying to manage my time whilst entertaining , educating and caring for my son during the holidays is beyond challenging. It’s heart-breaking when a parent feels like they are ignoring their child in order to commit to the job that pays the bills! I don’t have a support network which is why when I gained access to the HAF program a weight was lifted from my shoulders and my mind. The HAF program provided the balance I needed to focus on work while knowing that my son was being cared for safely and having the time of his life with his peers & professionals who cared. My son who is non verbal and not very social, formed connections quickly and even started to use some words since being on the program. The HAF program offers support and peace of mind for parents as well as a safe space for neurodivergent children who desperately need it. If the HAF program was not available this would impact heavily on my work, the support that I could give to my son, the support I could give to my mother and ultimately severely affect my ability to support my home financially. This is not a program that we can afford to loose!

Our son is 6 year, with a diagnosis of autism with a high level of support needs, sensory challenges and non verbal. He is in special needs school, where he receives both speech and occupational therapy in a classroom setting with a high ratio of staff against children. Prior to the summer school programme we would often spend our time in local parks make use of autism-specific activities such as peaceful play sessions at the trampoline park or the quiet times at the soft play. Despite our sons complex challenges we continue to involve him in everyday tasks, activities and outings to allow for him to be able to part of a neurotypical world as much as possible. We want him to learn to address the challenges that he may face as a result of his autism diagnosis, so that we can support his independence and ability to live a meaningful life. Despite many summer programmes being available in the borough, we recognise the challenge of sending our child to a mainstream summer programme and have therefore struggled in the past to access appropriate activities during the summer holidays. To be able to attend a summer camp provision meant that first and foremost our son had an opportunity to rely on a consistent and predictable routine during the summer holidays. Autistic children thrive on being able to predict their day, routine and consistency are key. Being in a new environment also allowed our son to continue to develop his confidence, develop abilities to regulate, despite being nonverbal his skills to communicate through behaviour, and above and beyond have a really fun time. As a parent, the BF4A summer provision allowed us to continue working whilst we knew our son was in a supportive and loving environment. This was exciting for the whole family, as it was the first time he attended a summer camp and everyone was looking forward to seeing how he would enjoy his time. It goes without saying that knowing that your child is being looked after in a way that supports their development, but also recognises their challenges provides much needed Peace of Mind. If the summer programme ended our son would be unable to access any summer camp provision at all. This is based on conversations with mainstream summer holiday providers who have expressed that they are unable to cater for his needs and therefore unable to take him on. If this programme would end it would mean that he had no opportunity to access any provision in the borough during the entire summer holiday. It would also mean that as parents we would need to not only take normal annual leave, but also unpaid leave to look after him during this extended time away from school. This would financially not be viable and also mean our son would miss out on crucial opportunities to grow and develop. He would have spent most of his summer in front of the TV and iPad. Many offers in the summer are so busy that it would not be suitable for us to attend, as it would trigger sensory challenges. But it was also mean that the level of predictability and consistency would be disturbed which will lead to dysregulation, lack of sleep and overall decline in progress. It would also exacerbate our challenges as parents to support him in a nurturing and supportive way during a time where we are supposed to be working. As parents of a child with an autism diagnosis often we face not only isolation but also exclusion and being at the summer camp allowed us to connect with parents who are in similar circumstances and those connections have grown away from the summer camp into supportive relationships. The importance of well-being not only for our children, but also for parents and carers is often overlooked, and being able to be with like minded individuals means that we can support each other and share the load. I was very impressed by not only the provision which offered such a range of activities, but their recognition of not only the challenges our son may face because of his diagnosis, but also many opportunities for him to not only enjoy, but to develop key skills that will be important as he moves through childhood into adulthood. The programme provided an environment that was supportive with nurturing staff as well as fresh food, which we enjoyed even as a family as we were invited to take fruit and vegetable, which we cooked at home as lovely family dinners. Without the summer camp, we would not only loose crucial support, but also a piece of hope, knowing our children have not lost their place in society.