Government urged to support childcare for disabled children

Disabled children’s charities today challenged Treasury minister Ed Balls to provide more government funding to support childcare for disabled children.

Jo Williams, chief executive of learning difficulties charity Mencap, spoke out at a fringe event to launch the Every Disabled Child Matters campaign, which wants more rights and support for disabled children.

A report published as part of the campaign claimed the government’s national childcare strategy was failing disabled children, saying provision was “neither fit for purpose nor affordable”.

Williams told Balls that although the Childcare Act 2006 placed a duty on councils to provide childcare for disabled children, this would mean nothing if it was not backed by extra government funding.