A VITAL YEAR OF
g n i n g i a p m a c
THE DISABLED CHILDREN’S PARTNERSHIP (DCP) IS A COALITION OF MORE 100 ORGANISATIONS WHO HAVE COME TOGETHER TO CAMPAIGN FOR BETTER HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE SUPPORT FOR DISABLED CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES. DCP CAMPAIGN MANAGER, STEPHEN KINGDOM, REFLECTS ON SOME SUCCESS FOR THE CAMPAIGN AND PRIORITIES FOR 2022.
F
irst, the good news. On 1 February, the government announced a £30 million fund to provide more short breaks for families with disabled children, alongside £18 million to expand the supported internships programme. We have been campaigning for dedicated funding for disabled children’s social care for years, with the support of a wide network of big and small organisations, thousands of parents, young people and allies, parliamentarians, newspapers and more. The additional funding shows that this campaigning has been heard. It is the result of thousands of parents emailing their MPs and signing petitions; brave parents and young people speaking at events; and hundreds of parent carers filling out our surveys. It’s so encouraging to see all this effort bearing fruit – and a massive personal thank you from me to everyone involved.
12
