“She blames herself a lot because she thinks because she decided to work, this is her fault – and it’s just not.
“I’m concerned for their mental health and how they’re going to get through it,” she added.
Cooper also said she was worried about Nyla’s father.
“Their bond was amazing,” she said.
Cooper said Nyla had been with an Ofsted-registered childminder when she went missing, who had been recommended to the family via someone in the community on Facebook.
Nyla’s usual childminder, who was based next door, did not have any availability over the Easter break so her mother used the new one, who “had a list of qualifications as long as her arm”, said Cooper.
The childminder was told that Nyla was a “flight risk”. Cooper said by about 9:45 GMT Nyla’s parents received a phone call saying Nyla had gone missing and her body was later found by helicopter in the pond “some distance” from the park they had been at.
In an update on Wednesday, South Yorkshire Police said there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding Nyla’s death.
“This is a heartbreaking incident and the child’s family remain in our thoughts,” a force spokesperson said.
“We know the impact of this news has extended beyond the family and into local and wider communities.
“We are now acting on behalf of the coroner and, in line with normal procedure, we will work with City of Doncaster Council and Ofsted to ensure the correct processes are followed.”
