New report showing families raising disabled children are 'Locked out of Childcare' - Family Fund
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New report showing families raising disabled children are ‘Locked out of Childcare’

Family Fund’s new Locked out of Childcare report reveals the significant barriers families raising disabled children face in accessing suitable and affordable childcare. Based on a poll of 1,000 parent carers, the report highlights how a lack of appropriate childcare is affecting families’ finances, employment opportunities and wellbeing.

The Family Fund

Our new report ‘Locked out of Childcare’ shows 1 in 5 parent carers (21%) want more childcare than they are able to access, over a third (38%) of families with disabled children who want more childcare can’t afford it, while 29% say childcare is unsuitable because it doesn’t meet the needs of disabled children.  

The report, based on a YouGov poll, reflecting the responses of 1,000 UK families, says: 

  • Over 1 in 5 families (21%) would like more paid childcare than they currently receive.  
  • Key barriers facing families who would like more childcare include affordability (38%) and suitable provision (29%). 
  • More than half (51%) of full-time parents and carers who responded say they would work more if suitable childcare hours become available to them. 
  • More than half (55%) of parent carers who say that childcare provision does not meet their child’s needs say it negatively impacts on their wellbeing.

Getting childcare right can improve family wellbeing, give parent carers a break from caring and support them to spend time with other family members. 

Family Fund’s Group Director of External Affairs, Helen Gravestock said: 

Information:

“Across the country, families raising disabled children have poorer access to childcare than those with non-disabled children and this impacts negatively on the entire family.
  
51% of parent carers who responded are unable to work and are therefore unable to earn as much as they want to, due to a lack of childcare. Meanwhile the extra costs of disability exceed £1,000 a month.

For those without family support, childcare may be the only way to get a break from caring, and for children with complex medical conditions or who need constant supervision, parent carers are being left in a vulnerable position.  

We want to see better access to inclusive childcare for disabled children and investment into the childcare workforce.  
It means ensuring financial barriers do not exclude disabled children because of upfront costs or additional disability-related expenses.   

Inclusive and affordable childcare would make an enormous, positive difference in the lives of parent carers who go above and beyond to support and provide for their children.”

You can read our report via the link below, including our key findings and recommendations to ensure childcare works for disabled children and their families.

Read our report

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