Tommy was excluded from his early learning centre, 'effective immediately'
The NSW government is being asked to intervene to help a four-year-old boy who was excluded from his early learning centre on the south coast due to his disability-related needs.
On a typical day in June, four-year-old Tommy Schumacher left for his early learning centre in Milton, NSW, only to be abruptly excluded due to his disability-related needs. Tommy lives with Perthes disease, which affected the blood supply to his hip, causing his femoral head to die and deform. As a result, he requires a wheelchair and frequent nappy changes.
The centre in Canberra informed his parents that Budawang Early Learning Centre could no longer support Tommy immediately, citing insufficient space for a nappy-changing area accommodating his wheelchair and needs. The centre had previously carried out accessibility improvements but deemed them insufficient. His parents, Jessica and her full-time working husband, were unable to find another suitable early learning centre for Tommy, who was then placed under the care of his grandparents.
The NSW Department of Education owns the centre and manages its licence agreement, but the case highlights ongoing barriers faced by children with disabilities in accessing early childhood education. Children and Young People with Disabilities Australia reported that one in five parents with disabled children reported their child being refused enrolment, while nearly a quarter were offered reduced hours.
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