BOOST OF ONE MILLION POUNDS TO TACKLE SERIOUS
SHORTAGE OF OUT OF SCHOOL CARE FOR FAMILIES WITH A DISABLED CHILD
One year on from a Capability
Scotland report into the serious lack of suitable childcare for
parents/carers with a disabled child the leading disability organisation
has been awarded the biggest award so far from the Big Lottery
Quality Childcare Programme to pilot a national demonstration
project in the Inverclyde area.
Around £1M pounds will be
spent over three years developing out of school care services
for children with a wide range of disabilities including physical,
learning and sensory impairments and complex disabilities,
as a result of
£750, 000 funding from the
Big Lottery Fund, £95, 000 from Inverclyde Council and other project
income.
Nobody Ever Wants to
Play with Me, released in July 2003,
highlighted the shortage of childcare nationally for young people
with a disability. The research found that:
- nearly 70% of working
parents relied on family members to care for their disabled
child
- Half did so because of
a lack of suitable and affordable childcare.
- Local mainstream childcare
providers struggled to offer places to disabled children, often
because they lacked knowledge, confidence and resources.
- As a result many parents
felt that the choice of whether to work was made for them.
Together in partnership
Capability Scotland, Inverclyde Childcare Partnership and Inverclyde
Council will pilot 4 new services which will provide 84 places
to families with a child with a disability or challenging behaviour
after school and during school holidays. The new services
will provide a mix of mainstream and specialist services for a
range of age groups.
Commenting on the project
Mark Bevan, Development Manager, Capability Scotland
said:
“Many families probably
feel a tinge of relief when the summer holiday ends but for families
with a disabled child the lack of suitable and affordable out
of school care services from which their child can benefit creates
a very real problem. We know from our ongoing research that
there are few children with a disability in existing out of school
care services and that this has a huge impact on families – many
parents/ carers end up not working and their family income can
be significantly below the national average. In addition
disabled children are becoming further isolated during term time
and holidays due to the lack of childcare opportunities which
their non disabled peers are coming to take for granted.”
“The funding from the Big
Lottery and Inverclyde Council means that we can pilot a new approach
to supporting young people in both existing mainstream and new
specialist out of school care services. In addition to developing
the capacity of the local workforce we hope of course that the
lessons learned from this 3 year project will influence the development
of more opportunities across Scotland which will benefit young
people with a disability and their families.”
Councillor Jim Mitchell, Convener of the
Education and Lifelong Learning Committee said: "The
news of this award is very welcome indeed. We had previously identified
a need within our childcare provision and I am sure parents whose
children have additional support needs will be pleased to see
the introduction of these services. "This marks a significant
development in childcare across Inverclyde and affords the opportunity
to integrate young people into our existing services with specialised
support. He concluded: "We look forward to continuing what
has been a fruitful partnership with Capability Scotland in taking
forward a pioneering project which is the first of its kind in
Scotland."
Announcing the awards
in Inverclyde David Campbell, Big Lottery Fund Board Member
for Scotland
said: “Targeting
those sectors where childcare needs are at their greatest is one
of the challenges of this programme. I am delighted that we have
been able to work with Capability Scotland and the Council here
in Inverclyde to fund a service which will make a real and tangible
difference to those who can access it.”
“Every day many Scottish
parents face the challenge of finding childcare that suits their
needs. We hope that through our Quality Childcare Programme
we are able to ensure that quality childcare is provided that
meets local needs and priorities.”
For further information please contact:
Michelle Hegarty
Keith Moore
Director of Communications
Corporate Communications Manager
Capability Scotland
Inverclyde Council
0131 337 9876 ext 212
01475 712723
0770 994613
Emma Whitfield Big lottery Fund Press Officer (Scotland)
0141 242 7810
07880 737 157
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