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Four in five parents of disabled children are in favour of child care based around schools, according to an unpublished survey of more than 1,000 families conducted by the Council of Disabled Children.

The findings reinforce the recommendations of the Education Act 2002, which encourage schools to offer child care.

At a conference on meeting the needs of very young disabled children last week, director of the Council of Disabled Children Philippa Russell highlighted the benefits of using the government's "extended schools" concept to address the survey's findings.


The concept involves schools opening outside normal hours to provide activities such as homework and breakfast clubs.

"Schools are not judgemental, not stigmatised and people will use them," Russell said.

Extended schools would provide for the co-location of services and allow disabled children to be catered for in the same place as their non-disabled siblings.

Special schools, which often have better amenities, could also be opened up to non-disabled children, allowing mixing, Russell said.


Paul Ennals, chief executive of the National Children's Bureau, said: "We are wasting resources. Some of the best community resources in the land are in schools that are only open from 9.30am to 3.30pm."

Co-locating services would make transport for disabled children less of an issue. Russell called for a debate on transport policies, which vary between local authorities - some refuse to allow disabled children and their siblings to travel together.