TWO mothers are taking action against Kent County Council because of an alleged failure to provide adequate childcare facilities.

Sheila Taylor and Nicola Angliss, from Ashford, made an official complaint against the council after a service which supported children with special needs was scrapped last March.

The service, Kids, offered families of autistic children much-needed respite in the form of weekend clubs, summer play schemes and home help.

KCC cancelled the Kids contract in the Ashford area after finding it was not up to standard, but promised families a new improved service would be up and running as soon as possible.

A complaint against KCC for failing to set up an alternative before it axed the Kids service was upheld, but Mrs Taylor and Mrs Angliss claim nothing has changed and they are still battling for a replacement service.

“We have lost all faith,” said Mrs Taylor, whose daughter Katy is 10 and suffers from autism.

“They keep saying things will happen but they don’t.

“Ashford does not have a day centre although there is Fairlawn for overnight respite.

“Many people do not want overnight respite but just want a playscheme back for the school holidays as we had before.”

She said many parents were taking their children to the Footprints Day Centre at Imagine Play Centre in Kingsnorth, but the two mothers claim there is not an adequate number of trained staff at the mainstream nursery to care for children with autism.

Mrs Taylor and Mrs Angliss, whose son Kieran is nine, are taking up the matter with the Local Government Ombudsman.

“The bottom line is that it is almost 12 months since the provision was withdrawn and we still do not have a replacement service,” added Mrs Taylor.

Cabinet member for children, families and educational standards, Chris Wells, explained the continuing delay.

“During the past year we have gone out to tender twice but nobody has applied to step in and run the service,” he said.

“I am confident a service agreement will soon be reached and provision returned by the summer and the play scheme in place.

“In the meantime we have offered parents an increase in direct payments for alternative activities.”