Every Disabled Child Matters
c/o Council for Disabled Children
National Children's Bureau
8 Wakley Street
London EC1V 7QE
tel +44 (0)20 7843 6448
fax +44 (0)20 7843 6313
[email protected]

EDCM supports End Child Poverty month

17 October 2006

As End Child Poverty Month launches, the Every Disabled Child Matters campaign is calling for specific action to address poverty in families with disabled children.

Poverty in families with disabled children is caused by additional costs and barriers to working. Research has shown that it costs around three times as much to raise a disabled rather than a non-disabled child. These additional costs, including equipment, adaptations to the home and additional fuel bills, are not met by existing benefits. In addition, the recent Every Disabled Child Matters briefing Between a rock and a hard place highlighted that the lack of appropriate and affordable childcare is preventing parents from working, contributing heavily to family poverty.

image of BAR

Steve Broach, Campaign Manager for Every Disabled Child Matters, comments:
'Currently, 55% of families with disabled children are living on or in the margins of poverty. This is unacceptable, and if the government wants to meet its own anti-poverty targets, it needs to start making disabled children a priority group for action'

Every Disabled Child Matters is calling for:

Additional funding to help local authorities deliver their new duties under the Childcare Act 2006 to ensure sufficent provision of childcare for disabled children
Training for all childcare workers to increase the supply of appropriate childcare places for disabled children
An increase in disability benefits to genuinely reflect the additional costs of bringing up a disabled child

During End Child Poverty Month, the Every Disabled Child Matters campaign will be tabling parliamentary questions highlighting the particular poverty issues facing families with disabled children, and supporting a number of events organised by our campaign partners. Further information on the Month is available at www.endchildpoverty.org.uk

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� National Children's Bureau 2006 � Reg Charity No. 258825