Guide aims to help childcare settings be more inclusive to disabled children
Joe Lepper
Thursday, May 5, 2011
The Daycare Trust has produced a guide for nurseries and schools to help them be more inclusive to families with disabled children.
Advice on accessibility and involving parents and children in decisions around their care and education is featured.
A priority, according to the guide, is to make sure other children are aware and understand disabled children’s special needs.
Anand Shukla, acting chief executive of Daycare Trust, said: "It is extremely important to listen to disabled children of all ages and their parents as they require additional services to be tailored to their needs. The lack of appropriate childcare to meet these needs is a significant barrier for many parents to be able to work and to live normal lives.
"Making childcare settings and schools more inclusive and hospitable is a key factor for improving childcare for disabled children and their parents."
The guide, called Making A Bold Statement, is based on evidence from the Trust’s partnership with Luton Borough Council through the Disabled Children’s Access To Childcare (DCatch) project.