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Childcare conference calls for an end to unequal childcare system for disabled children.
The Family and Childcare Trust’s annual conference opened today with its chief executive, Anand Shukla saying it is “shameful” that families with disabled children are unable to work because of the lack of affordable and suitable childcare.
The conference takes place at the end of a year that saw a coalition of charities support a Parliamentary Inquiry into childcare for disabled children.
In his opening speech, Mr Shukla said of evidence presented at the Inquiry:
"What we found is shocking. Almost half of parents with children with a disability are asked to pay more than £10 an hour for childcare, and some pay up to £20.
"A fifth of mothers with a disabled child work compared to over two thirds of mothers with children, and 83 per cent of those not working said the main reason was lack of affordable and suitable childcare. A third of parents said they could not access childcare because there were no suitable places. I think that is shameful.
"For many schools, it is a challenging time as they are being asked to work more efficiently while still delivering excellent outcomes. The award gives schools the recognition they deserve and functions as an effective quality improvement tool, giving staff the confidence they need to provide an excellent service to families in their local area.
"Not only should every parent with a disabled child be able to access high quality childcare at the same price as any other parent, they should receive extra help and support to remove any barriers they face. This is what the Family and Childcare Trust is campaigning for."
The average cost in Britain for 25 hours of childcare a week for a child under two years old is £109.89, and earlier this year the costs of childcare for a family of two children were found to be higher than the average UK mortgage payment.
This year’s Family and Childcare Trust annual conference brings together the sector to set out ideas for a new vision for childcare, and particularly how it is funded. The charity argues that the current approach to funding childcare is too fragmented, and is calling on government to set up an independent review that aims to simplify the multitude of existing government funding streams.
Speakers at today’s conference include Childcare and Education Minister, Sam Gyimah MP and Shadow Minister for Education, Steve McCabe MP.
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Contact: Mark Bou Mansour, Communications and Campaigns Manager. Telephone: 0207 940 7535, mobile: 07538 334 772, email: mark@familyandchildcaretrust.org.
Notes to Editor:
The Parliamentary Inquiry into Childcare for Disabled Children was supported by Every Disabled Child Matters, Family and Childcare Trust, Contact a Family and Working Families.
The inquiry found that:
- 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 due to a chronic lack of appropriate settings or lack of funding
- 86% of parent carers who responded to the Inquiry’s survey reported paying above average childcare costs, with 38% paying £11-20 and 5% paying more than £20
- 72% of families with disabled children have cut back or given up work because of childcare problems
- The childcare situation gets worse as a disabled child gets older: the cost increases and availability gets even more limited as mainstream holiday and after school clubs are often not inclusive
- There is confusion among local authorities, nurseries and schools about what their duties are in providing childcare for disabled children
About the Family and Childcare Trust
The Family and Childcare Trust aims to make the UK a better place for families. We are a leading national family charity in the field of policy, research and advocacy on childcare and family issues, with over 40 years’ experience. Our on-the-ground work with parents and providers informs our research and campaigns. We focus on the early years and childcare because they are crucial to boosting children’s outcomes throughout life and supporting parents to work.