Latest news with #SEND
The Independent
4 hours ago
- General
- The Independent
Families facing childcare bill of up to £1,800 per child this summer
Childcare costs over the six-week summer break could cost working parents as much as £1,800, a charity has revealed. A survey by the children's charity Coram found while the average British parent will need to fork out £234 a week for a holiday childminder, in inner London it costs £306 a week – that's £1,800 for six weeks. It's the first time the annual survey has included childminder costs during the holidays alongside data on availability of places in childcare clubs provided by local authorities. Childcare costs have risen by 4 per cent across England, Wales and Scotland over the past year. But it's not just the cost of care that makes the six-week break harder for families, it's the lack of holiday childcare available. The survey found only 9 per cent of councils in England had enough spaces for at least 75 per cent of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in their area. But this figure is even more stark in East Midlands, the East of England and inner London with no councils able to offer places to two thirds of children with SEND. Many councils do not have a clear picture of whether they have enough holiday childcare for the children in their area, with at least half responding 'data not held or cannot tell' for availability questions in the survey. However, where this information is known, those with older children, parents working atypical hours and children with SEND have the least availability of childcare. Lydia Hodges, Head of Coram Family and Childcare, said: 'The need for childcare doesn't finish at the end of term. Holiday childcare not only helps parents to work but gives children the chance to have fun, make friends and stay active during the school breaks. Yet all too often it is missing from childcare conversations. 'Whilst the increase in government -funded early education has reduced childcare costs for working parents of under-fives in England, prices for Holiday Childcare are going up for school-age children. This risks encouraging parents to work while their children are young, only to find it is not sustainable once their child starts school.' Ms Hodges argues childcare is an ongoing issue and following the survey the charity cannot be sure children, especially those with special educational needs and disabilities, are not missing out. 'We need a system that meets the needs of all children, with the ongoing security of free holiday childcare for disadvantaged families and timely help with bills for those who need it, so that no child misses out during school holidays,' she added. The charity is calling on the government to maintain the holiday activities and food (HAF) programme after March 2026 to make sure disadvantaged children have affordable childcare during school holidays. It also wants to see additional funding to holiday childcare providers to meet the needs of children with SEND and childcare made available to fit a range of parental working patterns.
Telegraph
5 hours ago
- General
- Telegraph
Blaming the parents is easier than fixing Britain's special educational needs system
Many parents of children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) are likely to be too busy fighting the broken education system to notice they are actually being blamed for it. Their lives are spent constantly having to fight to get what most children and families take for granted – the education their child needs and deserves. For all the talk of parents trying to get special treatment, or a 'golden ticket' for their children, research from the National Autistic Society shows a quarter of parents (26 per cent) waited over three years to receive support for their child. Even after this, nearly three quarters (74 per cent) said their child's school place did not meet their needs. Our SEND system is supposed to provide children with the support they need. But over the last decade and a half, the funding and staff time for mainstream schools to make small changes or bring in support, without needing additional funding through an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), has been systematically stripped from the system. When children's needs aren't met, they don't go away, they escalate. The result is that children are pushed ever closer to the brink and then require more intensive support. Getting help in school shouldn't require a child to have a clinical diagnosis. Yet, say that to any parent of a child with SEND and they would rightly laugh in your face, as they often face unlawful refusals from councils to even look at their child's needs until they have a diagnosis. Then the statistics get even more galling. Currently 224,382 people are waiting for an autism assessment in England – that's around the population of Portsmouth. The average waiting time for an assessment is 14 months, with many people waiting even longer. Recently, a woman in Oxford was told she would have to wait 16-18 years. Once a child has a diagnosis, it's far from a 'golden ticket', as so often claimed. Parents of autistic children have to fight, some having to remortgage their house or take out loans, to afford the expensive legal battles that overwhelmingly find in their favour. £60 million of public money was wasted sending families to the independent SEND Tribunal in 2021-22 to enforce their child's legal rights, while 99 per cent of cases in 2023-24 found in favour of parents. If you're looking for real waste in the SEND system, this is a staggering example. To fix the SEND system, support must meet children's needs early on. Imagine how much more our education system, and the children in it, could achieve if we didn't ignore and belittle children that need support. How much more prepared for adult life and all its trials and tribulations a child could be, armed with the knowledge of their autistic identity, rather than being sneered at for 'chasing' a 'label'. How many more families could live in financial security without having to give up work if the system had the resources to approach their requests with options, rather than a closed door. How many more disabled children could walk happily with their brothers and sisters to school, rather than having to rely on school transport for journeys miles and miles away from home. It's right that the Government tries to fix this broken system. It's clear though that any reform should focus on strengthening children's rights to early and less intensive support and making sure teachers are equipped with the knowledge and tools to support kids in their classrooms. Put quite simply: EHCPs aren't the problem in the system. Nor is school transport. The problem is that the system legally responsible for supporting our nation's disabled children is not resourced or equipped to do that. That's why the National Autistic Society will campaign as part of the Disabled Children's Partnership – a coalition of 130 organisations from national charities to grass root parent groups – to get the right reforms from the Government. Families don't want anything 'special', they just want the same thing as other families – the education their children need. Now is the time to get this right, not blame parents and take away children's futures.
The Independent
9 hours ago
- The Independent
Revealed: The increasing cost of summer holiday childcare
The cost of childcare for the six-week summer holiday is projected to rise by at least four per cent across Britain, with parents facing an average bill exceeding £1,000 per child. A report found the average weekly cost for a holiday childcare club has increased to £179, with Wales recording the highest weekly price at £210, followed by England at £178 and Scotland at £168. Families in the UK pay an average of £1,076 for six weeks of holiday childcare, which is £677 more than the cost for six weeks in an after-school club during term time. Councils have reported a significant shortage of holiday childcare places, particularly for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), with some English regions having no adequate provision. The Coram Family and Childcare charity is calling on the government to provide more funding, training, and support for holiday childcare providers, and to maintain the holiday activities and food programme.
Daily Mail
19 hours ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Summer holiday childcare costs now more than DOUBLE after-school clubs, averaging £179 a week
Summer holiday childcare costs are now more than double those of after-school clubs, averaging £179 a week according to a report. Families paying for childcare over the six-week summer holiday now face a bill of £1,076 per child on average – a rise of 4 per cent on last year. This compares with just £399 for six weeks of after-school club during term time. The report, by the Coram Family and Childcare charity, also found councils have reported a shortage of holiday childcare places. It was based on surveys of local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales about summer holiday clubs in their areas. Wales has the highest weekly price at £210, followed by England at £178 and Scotland at £168. There is significant variation in holiday club prices across England, ranging from £196 per week in the South East to £162 per week in the North West. The report also found that the average cost of a childminder during the holidays is £234 per week in the UK. Inner London has the highest childminder price at £306 per week, compared to the South West where the childminder cost is £191 per week. The lack of places was particularly accute for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). In England, only 9 per cent of local authorities said they had enough holiday childcare for at least three quarters of children with SEND in their area. This figure falls to 0 per cent for three regions in England – the East Midlands, the East of England and Inner London, the report said. The charity is calling on the Government to provide more funding, training and support to holiday childcare providers to meet the needs of SEND children. The holiday activities and food (HAF) programme – which funds local authorities to provide holiday childcare, activities and food for children eligible for free school meals – should also be maintained after March 2026 to ensure disadvantaged children have childcare during school holidays, it added. The expansion of funded childcare – which was introduced by the Conservative government – began being rolled out in England in April last year for working parents of two-year-olds. Working parents of children older than nine months are now able to access 15 hours of funded childcare a week during term time, before the full rollout of 30 hours a week to all eligible families in September. The report said: 'It is encouraging to see increasing recognition that childcare is essential for facilitating parental workplace participation, with the continued expansion of funded childcare in early years, support to develop wraparound childcare before and after school, and the introduction of free breakfast clubs. 'There is no longer an assumption that parents and employers are able to fit their work around the school day, or an expectation that they will do so. 'However, outside of school term time, the situation is very different. 'Holiday childcare remains the unspoken outlier of childcare policy and the gap that parents must bridge every school holiday.' Lydia Hodges, head of Coram Family and Childcare, said: 'The need for childcare doesn't finish at the end of term. 'Holiday childcare not only helps parents to work but gives children the chance to have fun, make friends and stay active during the school breaks. 'Yet all too often it is missing from childcare conversations. 'Whilst the increase in government-funded early education has reduced childcare costs for working parents of under-fives in England, prices for holiday childcare are going up for school-age children. 'This risks encouraging parents to work while their children are young, only to find it is not sustainable once their child starts school. 'Availability of holiday childcare is an ongoing issue and without a clear picture of how much holiday childcare there is in each area, we cannot be sure that children – particularly those with special educational needs and disabilities – are not missing out.' Arooj Shah, chairman of the Local Government Association's (LGA) children and young people board, said: 'While councils recognise the importance of ensuring there is sufficient provision available for children with SEND, it can be difficult to ensure the right provision is available, particularly given the challenging situation that many providers face at the moment. 'Councils work closely with providers to improve access to holiday childcare provision for children with Send but without investment and recruitment of quality staff this will be difficult to deliver.'
Daily Mirror
19 hours ago
- General
- Daily Mirror
School holiday childcare costs surge to more than £1,070
Childcare costs now sit at £179 per week, or £1,075 over the six-week school break, after a 4% rise in the last year in Great Britain, according to a new survey Parents are facing a more than £1,000 bill per child in childcare costs over the summer holidays, research shows. Childcare costs now sit at £179 per week, or £1,075 over the six-week school break, after a 4% rise in the last year in Great Britain, according to Coram Family and Childcare's annual survey. The study found that a place at a holiday club costs more than two-and-a-half times more than an after-school club during term-time - £179 per week compared to £66. The highest costs are found in Wales at £209.60 per week, the Holiday Childcare Survey found, followed by England at £178 and Scotland at £168. Yorkshire and the Humber has seen the biggest annual price increase, at 13%, with the average cost of a holiday club now at £194.41 per week. For those who opt to use a childminder, the average price during the holidays is £234 per week across Britain – more than £1,400 for the six-week break. Inner London has the highest childminder price at £306 per week, compared to the South West where the childminder cost is £191 per week. While cost is a major issue, families are also facing challenges when it comes to availability of spaces for kids. Councils have reported a shortage of holiday childcare places - especially for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), researchers found. Just 9% of councils in England said they have enough places for at least 75% of children with SEND. Lydia Hodges, Head of Coram Family and Childcare, said: 'The need for childcare doesn't finish at the end of term. Holiday childcare not only helps parents to work but gives children the chance to have fun, make friends and stay active during the school breaks. Yet all too often it is missing from childcare conversations. 'Whilst the increase in government-funded early education has reduced childcare costs for working parents of under-fives in England, prices for Holiday Childcare are going up for school-age children. 'This risks encouraging parents to work while their children are young, only to find it is not sustainable once their child starts school.' Arooj Shah, chairwoman of the Local Government Association's (LGA) children and young people board, said: "While councils recognise the importance of ensuring there is sufficient provision available for children with Send, it can be difficult to ensure the right provision is available, particularly given the challenging situation that many providers face at the moment. "Councils work closely with providers to improve access to holiday childcare provision for children with Send but without investment and recruitment of quality staff this will be difficult to deliver."
