Barcelona Mum

Jane Darroch Riley

What is your name, age, where do you live and how long have you lived in Barcelona?
My name is Jane, I’m 43 and have lived in Barcelona since 2002.

Do you work, and if so what do you do?
I work freelance in the book publishing industry as a consultant, mostly I work as a book designer but I also edit, ghost write and generally facilitate the book making process for anyone who would like to make their own book or needs help in the publishing process. I work with small publishing houses as well as individuals. I have worked with a few designers and architects here on catalogues for exhibitions and lately I have been working more on one of a kind books for families ranging from memoirs and cookbooks of handed down recipes to favorite kids fairytales. I worked for years in a big publishing house in New York so it’s nice to still use those skills but on a micro level.

What nationality are you and your partner?
I’m Scottish and my partner is from New York

How many children do you have and what are their names and ages?
 I have a son Enzo aged 10 and a daughter Marina aged 8

What was your experience of having a baby in Barcelona or relocating to Barcelona with children?
The hardest part of relocating with kids was finding a place in public school for them without being able to speak the language or really understanding at the time what the paperwork requirements were.

How well integrated would you say you and your children are?
We are lucky to live in a neighborhood where everyone has close ties to the local civic centre and local schools so it makes for a tight knit community that we’re very much part of though I think as a foreigner there will also be a level on which you are never 100% integrated but then you get the benefit of international friends too.

What language do you speak to your children?
English

What has your impression been of childcare and education in Barcelona so far?
Navigating through the systems to get what you need can be complex and frustrating but the actual standard of care and education is very high.

You mentioned that your child has special needs, from your experience as a parent, what are the challenges that face parents of a child with special needs in the Barcelona school system?
I can only speak as an individual here and so much in the beginning depends on how well you speak Catalan and Spanish which I am fine with now but 5 years ago floundered badly in getting the information I needed, but to be honest from the things I know of the UK and US systems it’s a huge challenge to educate a special needs child whatever system you are dealing with and the Catalan EAP is as good if not better in many instances as any other public health and Education system I have dealt with.

In your opinion, how well prepared are the schools to teach children with special needs and what was your experience?
We have had experience of 3 different primary schools in the public system here and of them only 1 out of the 3 were prepared for the challenge. The system here unlike other places has traditionally been to separate kids with special needs rather than to integrate, they are in the process of changing slowly to a system of integration so if you are in the public school system its luck of the draw really as to whether the school your child attends has the right team in place. A lot too depends on the level and type of special needs your child has, at one point we requested a one -on -one classroom assistant but in spite of the fact that we had the required level of disability  we were told that as Marina was not disruptive to the class or aggressive in her behavior it was unlikely we would get one.  This year she splits her time 2 days a week in regular school and 3 days a week at a special needs school. This ‘compartida’ system has so far worked out really well for us.

Are the international schools better equipped to teach children with special needs?
I can only go on my own experience which indicates that international schools here are not at all equipped for kids with special needs beyond a minor level, I was told off –the- record by several different teachers from International schools that I should either not bother applying or that if it were their own kids they would look elsewhere. I hasten to add this is not meant as a criticism merely a description of my own experience. I have since been told by other Mothers that the American schools here are the best options of the international ones if you require special needs but it has been at least 3 years since  my own experiences so it may all have changed completely by now.

Do you belong to any support group in Barcelona?
No

What advice would you give to other parents in a similar position to yourselves?
If you don’t have good language skills, get a Catalan friend or a translator of some kind if you can to come with you to the meetings, don’t be put off by the endless paperwork , ask other parents  for help, I don’t belong to a any formal support goup but other Mums in particular have helped me endlessly.

For parents with children with special needs moving to Catalunya, what groups or educational bodies would you suggest they contact?
If  your child is under 6 then Centro de Desarrollo Infantil y Atención Temprana (CDIAP), there are different offices depending upon which  part of town you live in,  you should also get your child’s NIE as soon as possible and register at your local Cap Salut if you can, usually the pediatrician can then set in motion whatever appointments you will need for testing. The crucial piece of paper is the Certificado Diminuacion. Once you are in the public school system you deal with a liaison officer from the EAP. Depending on your child’s  diagnosis there are also other organisations and associations that can be very helpful for example the  http://www.fcsd.org/en/fcsd/for children with downs syndrome or the http://www.autisme.com for children with autism.

From what you know, how does Catalunya compare with your home country with regards to caring for children with special needs?
The system here is still more geared toward special education schools rather than integration as far as as I can tell. India Knight in the times UK  has an excellent blog for  families with special needs kids. http://timesonline.typepad.com/india_knight/ and the comments from Uk mums on it often reflect exactly the same frustrations as I have had in Barcelona. One thing that did seem an advantage  here was that I was given  a list of special schools to go and visit and the choice was entirely  ours  regardless of where we lived and our income etc etc I don’t think that’s so true in the UK where its more location based as far as I can tell.

Where you live, how good are facilities for children (shops, restaurants, activities etc)?
 I live in the Barri del coll in Vallcarca, so not too many shops or restaurants but we are between Park Guell and Park Crueta and have a wonderful community centre and truly amazing local primary school on our doorstep.

Is there anything you think would improve children´s lives in Barcelona?
I wish the summer vacation wasn’t quite so long as 12 weeks is too much for them and for us.

What do you wish you had been told before you came to Barcelona?
If you mean to live here long term learn Catalan to at least a basic level  before you learn Spanish

What advice would you give for anyone having a baby or thinking of relocating to Barcelona with children?
Be patient with the paperwork its exhausting but there are so many good things about bringing up your kids here it all balances out

What couldn´t you live without in Barcelona?
Friends.

What could you live without?!
Less dog crap on the streets would be nice