Parliamentary Inquiry into disabled children report

Levelling the playing field for families with disabled children and young people

The Parliamentary inquiry into childcare for disabled children report reveals a childcare crisis denying disabled children educational and social opportunities, and their parents the right to work. Its findings include:

• 41% of families with disabled children aged three and four are unable to access the full 15 hours free entitlement to childcare and early years education, because there’s nothing suitable available

• 86% of parent carers who responded to the Inquiry reported paying above average childcare costs, with 38% paying £11-20 and 5% paying over £20.

• 72% of families with disabled children have cut back or given up work because of childcare problems

The inquiry has called on the Government to develop an action plan to meet the needs of families with disabled children for affordable and quality childcare, and urged all parties to recognise that disabled children cannot be an afterthought in the childcare system.

Read the full report here.