Mum criticises childcare nursery fees for autistic son

A mother is paying more than £200 a month to cover private nursery costs for her three-year-old son, saying "mainstream school isn't suitable for him".

Rebecca, from Bridgend, said it could not cater to the specific needs of Jack, who has autism.

In Bridgend, children from the age of three are eligible for free nursery education.

The council has offered to fund 12.5 hours of private childcare, so his parents top up the remainder.

It said full-time education or special packages were offered for children with extra needs in mainstream schools.

Working parents can apply for the Welsh government's Childcare Offer, which provides 30 hours of free early education and childcare a week, to put their children in private nurseries.

But Rebecca, who does not qualify for the full amount as she is training as a teacher, said it was unfair on families with children with additional needs as public-run nurseries cannot always cater to all disabilities.

The Welsh government said about £1.5m was made available to councils each year to help pay extra childcare costs for children with additional needs on top of funding.