National Deaf Children’s Society Family Fund Programme

The programme will fund specialist equipment, assistive technology, and British Sign Language (BSL) learning, helping children with hearing loss to communicate more effectively and take part fully in everyday family life, education, and play.

National Deaf Children’s Society

The National Deaf Children’s Society is a national charity for deaf children with any level of hearing loss. The charity is there for deaf children and everyone who cares about them.

It empowers families to connect and drive change in their communities, and campaigns to make sure deaf children get the support they need. It leads the way, sharing insight and knowledge in the UK and internationally.

Eligibility

The National Deaf Children’s Society Family Fund Programme has its own eligibility criteria. The funding aims to help deaf children and their families access technology and equipment that supports communication, improves interaction with family, friends and education, and promotes social wellbeing and relationships.

You may be eligible to apply if:

• You are the main carer applying on behalf of a child who is deaf. National Deaf Children’s Society uses the term deaf to include all types and levels of hearing loss, from mild to profound, including deafness in one ear and temporary hearing loss such as glue ear.
• You live in the United Kingdom.
• You are applying for a child aged 0 to 11, or a child who is still in primary education.

Family Fund will assess eligibility based on the information provided in your application, along with supporting evidence from a relevant professional, such as an audiologist, teacher of the deaf, or a child’s education, health and care plan (EHCP).

We will also need to understand the impact of the child’s hearing loss on their communication and confirm ongoing support or involvement from medical or education professionals.

Grants you can apply for:

Please note that you can not apply for a grant for:

• Items you’ve already bought
• Items that should be provided by a statutory agency, such as a local authority or health service after a needs assessment – such as home adaptions, therapies or specialist buggies

How to apply

Applications are made directly through Family Fund. You can apply even if you have previously applied for a Family Fund grant.

A Welsh version of the application form is available.

What happens after you apply

We aim to contact all families by the end of April to let them know about the outcome of their application. However, due to the high number of families seeking support, some decisions may take longer.