- Text Only |
- Site map |
- Print |
- Accessibility
c/o Council for Disabled Children
National Children's Bureau
8 Wakley Street
London EC1V 7QE
tel +44 (0)20 7843 6318
fax +44 (0)20 7843 6313
[email protected]
A right to short breaks
EDCM believes families with disabled children should have a clear legal right to short breaks to enable them to keep caring.
Regular, reliable and appropriate short breaks are the key service priority for families with disabled children. The report from the Parliamentary Hearings on services for disabled children states that ‘the lack of short breaks was the biggest single cause of unhappiness with service provision’ in submissions from parents to the hearings.
Changing the law
The Children and Young Persons Act 2008 introduces a duty on local authorities to provide short breaks. Email your council to ask how they are planning their short breaks services
EDCM has also tried to change the law to give families a clear legal right to breaks.
Find out about the Disabled Children (Family Support Bill) 2007
Find out about the Disabled Children (Family Support Bill) 2006
Legal test case
Legal experts have advised EDCM that a right to breaks may already exist in current law. EDCM is therefore calling on its supporters who have been refused support from their local authority to come forward to bring a test case. Read our news story to find out more.
Back to EDCM Parliamentary page
