CYP Now - Editorial: Budget boosts disabled children's chances

Last week saw the Chancellor further strengthen his children and young people's credentials as he declared that his tenth Budget would "secure fairness for each child by investing in every child". With a pledge to spend billions of pounds extra on state schools, an increase in the value of tax-free childcare vouchers companies can offer staff, and a financial boost to families claiming child tax credits, Gordon Brown strongly indicated where his priorities will lie for the next three years.

However, with less fanfare, Brown also committed the Treasury and theDepartment for Education and Skills to a joint review of policies forchildren and young people, which specifically includes threesub-reviews: disabled children and their families; youth services; andfamilies with complex needs. The explicit aim is to inform the 2007Comprehensive Spending Review.

Unsurprisingly, the consortium of disabled children's charities,comprising Contact a Family, Mencap, the Council for Disabled Childrenand the Special Education Consortium, which has been lobbying over thepast two years for disabled children's families to get the necessarycare and support, is "delighted" (see Analysis, p12). Not only are theyaware that Brown wouldn't have announced the reviews if these areasweren't likely to receive more money from 2007, but also that their goalof a cross-departmental public service agreement to support disabledfamilies has moved a major step forward.

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