Research uncovers problems for parents of disabled children in need of summer childcare

Posted on August 17, 2009
Filed Under Children Parenting, Disability, England, Family Marriage Partners, Reseach | Comments Off

Nearly 70% of parents of disabled children are not satisfied with available summer childcare

“it is just brick wall after brick wall” (parent of a disabled child)

Working Families, the work-life balance charity, has carried out new research on the difficulties faced by parents of disabled children in finding summer holiday care. The research looked into whether parents were happy with the care that was available for their children during the summer and the effect on parents’ ability to work. Members of the charity’s UK-wide Waving not drowning network were contacted for the research.

Responses showed that only a third of parents surveyed were satisfied with the summer holiday care that was available for their children. Parents face a postcode lottery when looking for childcare and many find nothing that meets the needs of their children. Over half of respondents who had access to information about summer childcare said it was not helpful to them.

The problems are resulting in a serious impact on these parents’ ability to work. A quarter of the parents took unpaid leave to cover weeks where there was no childcare available. Of those surveyed, 39% felt their responsibilities prevented them progressing in their careers or limited their ability to change jobs.

The research demonstrates the real strain felt by many families with disabled children. Over three quarters of parents said it was very difficult balancing work and care responsibilities in the summer. 3% had to leave their job because of lack of childcare during the summer holidays.

Parents who took part in the survey reported that they were limited in their choice of jobs and are forced to reduce their hours and miss out on income during the holidays.

Janet Mearns who co-ordinates the Waving not drowning network said: “Our network members had flagged up summer childcare as a problem area and we wanted to see exactly what the areas of difficulty were. Working Families wants to see better quality and quantity of childcare for disabled children so that both parents and children can make the most of their summer.”

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For further information or to see a full copy of the report, contact: Liz Whitehead, Press Office, press@workingfamilies.org.uk

Waving not drowning is the charity’s network for parents and carers of disabled children. Contact Janet Mearns for more details via janet.mearns@workingfamilies.org.uk or 020 7253 7243

Working Families is the UK’s leading work-life balance organisation. The charity supports and gives a voice to working parents and carers, whilst also helping employers create workplaces which encourage work-life balance for everyone.

Website: http://www.workingfamilies.org.uk/
Free helpline: 0800 013 0313
Email: advice@workingfamilies.org.uk

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The survey

We spoke to 75 parents of disabled children. Out of this group, 59 were in paid work and 16 were not in work. They were all contacted from the Waving not drowning network. Of those in paid work, 83% were women, 17% were men. These respondents were mostly part of couples (72%) with a large minority of lone parents (28%). They came from across the UK, telling us about their experiences from Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland and from all over England. We used both telephone and email to obtain responses. The ages of the children ranged from three to eighteen.

Note on working parents of disabled children

Finding the right quality and quantity of childcare is essential for parents to be able to work. Parents of disabled children face more costs in bringing up their children and their families face a 30% risk of poverty compared to 27% for the general population.[1] Enabling parents to find appropriate childcare and to work is essential for tackling the poverty of families with disabled children.[2] At present only 16% of mothers of disabled children work compared to 60% of mothers nationally.[3] For many parents employment also provides fulfilment and a break from their responsibilities as carers. Where suitable childcare exists it is also stimulating for children, giving them new opportunities to learn, socialise and develop.
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[1] Every Disabled Child Matters, ‘Disabled Children and Child Poverty’, 2007, p.3.
[2] Working Families, ‘Make it Work for You!’, 2006, p.1.
[3] Contact a Family, http://www.cafamily.org.uk/professionals/research/statistics.html, accessed on 12th August 2009.

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