In this section

Access to childcare

2 mins read

Why we’re campaigning

While many parents with disabled children juggle jobs with complex care arrangements against the odds, too often they are forced to cut hours or give up careers due to childcare problems

Our new Counting the Costs research in 2018 shows that 87% of mothers with disabled children can’t work as much as they’d like to, often due to a lack of suitable childcare. When they are able to find childcare, the costs are often unaffordable.

What we want

  • The cap on eligible childcare costs via tax credits and Universal Credit to be lifted to £300 for disabled children.
  • More funding for local authorities and providers to improve the quality and number of childcare places for all disabled children.
  • Better information to enable families to make choices about their childcare.

What you can do

  • Email una.summerson@contact.org.uk if you have a story to tell or would be interested in challenging a childcare decision through the courts.
  • If you’re able to, please consider making a donation so we can continue our life-changing campaign work.

What we’re doing

What we’ve achieved

  • The tax free childcare scheme extended to recognise the higher childcare costs that many families with disabled children face (the first time extra childcare costs have been recognised in policy).
  • A supplement to local authorities and childcare providers to help cover the extra costs of childcare for disabled children when accessing the free early years offer.