CHILDCARE for DISABLED CHILDREN

Disabled Children Access to Childcare (DCATCH)

The Disabled Children's Access to Childcare projects will be tested in ten local areas from 2008-2011. LB Barking and Dagenham and LB Camden are among the pilot authorities.

Projects include specialist training for childcare workers and new centres of excellence for disabled children in children's centres next to special schools.

The package also includes national expectations of how disabled children and families in every area can expect services to be provided – the 'core offer'.

The first phase of pilot work is in process.  The programme is managed by Together for Disabled Children

Childcare Affordability Programme (CAP)

The Childcare Affordability Programme (CAP) has been given a new status as one of several Child Poverty Pilots. Building on the learning of CAP05, CAP09 will test a number of approaches looking at aspects of affordability and complexity of childcare support and the impact of these on parental employment. 

It is likely that one of these offers will be a pan London disabled childcare offer -to test whether subsidising childcare at a higher rate (than for non-disabled children).  The offer will pilot an approach outside of the current tax credit system and has the potential to benefit 500 families per year from 2009-11. 

Documents

Sure Start, Early Years & Childcare Grant And Aiming High For Disabled Children Grant:  2009-10 Memorandum Of Grant  (20 February 2009)

Websites

Sure Start

Funding

Specific allocations for each of the above LAs for 2009-10 and 2010-11 will be determined in light of further discussions over the coming weeks.

Page reviewed April 14 2009