Thanks to concerted lobbying by the Every Disabled Child Matters Campaign - including Contact a Family - Ed Balls MP, Economic Secretary and Lord Adonis, SEN and Disability Minister within Department for Educational Skills have recently announced the most substantial funding package ever for families with disabled children living in England.
From 2008 to 2011, £340m will be invested in services for disabled children, with the lion’s share, £280m, being spent on short breaks for families who have children with severe disabilities.
The package will also include:
The measures were announced as part of the Treasury’s Aiming High for Disabled Children report, which followed a ground-breaking review of services and took heart-rending evidence from parents, as well as talking to professionals.
“As founder members of the Every Disabled Child Matters campaign, we’ve lobbied long and hard for this funding, so it’s very good news,” said Contact a Family Chief Executive Francine Bates. “The pot’s large enough to begin a transformation of families’ lives - but now the challenge is to make sure the money is spent where it is most needed in consultation with parents, disabled children and young people.”
Last updated: Tuesday 4th September, 2007