'No nursery will accept our little boy - and it's breaking our hearts'

The parents of a non-verbal tot have spoken of their frustration over their struggle to get him into a nursery after being rejected by a string of centres around Oldham .

Lucy and James Ellis say they have approached dozens of nurseries and have been rejected outright by ten. They've become convinced that no nursery will accept their two-year-old son Jacob, who has allergies to soya, egg and grass and needs an EpiPen.

The youngster is currently on a nine-month waiting list for speech and language therapy. The pair say they have faced an uphill battle trying to get the tot into nursery over the past 18 months – with the difficulties starting when Jacob was just six-months-old. Primary school teacher Lucy, from Royton, says she has contacted around 25 nurseries across Oldham but has had no success.

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Dad James, who works as a driving instructor, claims many nurseries refuse to accept Jacob because of ‘lack of EpiPen training’ – despite James offering to organise the training for free.

Speaking to the Manchester Evening News, the 34-year-old said: “We’re frustrated and angry. We’re being told essentially that our little boy is an issue – that he’s a burden these places aren’t willing to help with.

“I get upset that he’s missing out on this time where he could be interacting with children his age and learning vital social skills as simple as sharing, personal space and boundaries. I play with him like I’m his little friend; I let him lead the fun and experiment with him with different tasks and play areas. It’s absolutely rewarding and so special but it breaks my heart he’s got no kids his age to play with and learn from or have that