THE parents of a disabled child are appealing for improved access to nursery care - calling for extra support to provide the help which is desperately needed.

Annabella Bonvini is three and a half years old and suffers from a rare chromosome disorder which means she has complicated and extensive needs, she cannot eat and is fed through a tube, has only one kidney which is prone to infections, has learning difficulties and is profoundly deaf.

She is also a beautiful, happy, contented child beloved by her parents Amanda and Stefano and three brothers and sisters.

Mrs Bonvini says it has been challenging since Annabella was born, initially she would not feed and there were continual concerns.

The family, who lived near Richmond, moved to Brompton, near Northallerton to be close to the Friarage Hospital, and also took Annabella to the Brambly Hedge Nursery in Northallerton for the past two and a half years.

“The care she has received has been fantastic, the staff have been really good and this has meant during the holidays we have been able to spend a bit more time with our other three children,” said Mrs Bonvini.

“ However the nursery has now said they will no longer be able to provide care for Annabella after Easter. This is because she can now crawl and is more mobile and they say they don’t have the staff to look after her.

“Finding care and respite for my daughter has always been very difficult and the nursery was a lifesaver for my family. My daughter was very familiar with the setting and knew the staff well and they knew how to take care of her and meet her needs. I find it a real shame that they can’t now look after her.

“This is an ongoing problem finding childcare for disabled children - there is a real need for this, it’s so important to offer the children and the families this help which can make a huge difference to everyone."

Owner of Brambly Hedge Nursery, Susan Quincey, said she could not discuss individual cases but in a statement said: "We provide care and a loving environment for all children at Brambly Hedge regardless of ability or needs. Where parents with children attending nursery want to extend care and add extra days, hours or sessions these are always subject to availability due to staffing ratios and the numbers of children already attending at the times they are requesting."