Government Commits to ‘Best Quality’ Support for Disabled Children

Disabled children are at the heart of Government policy, according to the Minister of State for Children and Families, the Lib Dem MP Sarah Teather.

Speaking at the launch of the latest briefing from the Every Disabled Child Matters (EDCM) campaign, Ms Teather said: “We want to make sure that the most vulnerable children get the best quality of support and care. Children with special educational needs and disabilities should have the same opportunities as their peers.”

Ms Teather added: “The system needs to be more family friendly so that parents don’t feel they have to battle to get the support their child needs.”

She went on to announce that the Government will publish this autumn a Green Paper on Special Educational Needs and the lives of disabled children in England, based on work with parents, young people and the disabled children’s sector over the summer. It will also publish regulations setting out details of the local authority duty to provide breaks from caring under the Children and Young Person’s Act 2008.

EDCM Board Member and Director of the Council for Disabled Children, Christine Lenehan, welcomed the Government’s commitment. “We warmly welcome the Government vision set out today, and the confirmation that funding to local authorities under the Aiming High for Disabled Children programme will continue to be ring-fenced in 2010/11.

“We are delighted that Sarah Teather MP has said that she will work in partnership with the disabled children and young people, their families and the disabled children’s sector over the summer to develop a Green Paper looking at both Special Educational Needs and the lives of disabled children outside school.”

MORE: www.edcm.org.uk, www.dcsf.gov.uk/everychildmatters/ahdc