We are delighted to announce that yesterday the government responded to EDCM’s calls for a right to short breaks, by creating a new legal duty on local authorities to provide short breaks to support families with disabled children.The duty has been described as a ‘historic moment’ in improving services for disabled children and their families – and we would like to say a huge ‘thank you’ to all our supporters that have backed our calls for a clearer right to short breaks. Read our news story for more detail:
http://www.edcm.org.uk/shortbreaksduty
While this is a huge step forward, the new duty is not likely to go as far as creating a new legal right to short breaks for individual families. EDCM will continue to campaign – with your support – for further changes to the law.We would also like to say thank you to all those that have taken part in our winter fuel action by emailing their MP. Although the extension of winter fuel payments to families with young disabled children was not announced as part of the budget statement last week, EDCM is meeting with the Director of the government’s Child Poverty Unit this week to take this forward. We will keep you posted…
You can find out more at: http://www.edcm.org.uk/winterfuel
The progress on short breaks shows that your involvement in EDCM campaign actions has a crucial impact on government policy.Please visit our Get Involved page at http://www.edcm.org.uk/getinvolved to see how else you can help make change happen for disabled children and their families.All our supporters are also encouraged to email your MP through The Children’s Society website, asking them to support calls for disabled children in care to have access to independent advocacy, to ensure they can get their views across. Please go to:
http://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/campaigns
As always, if you have any questions about any of these actions or the campaign, please get in touchAll best wishes
Pam
More from EDCM:
News story: Short breaks – a legal duty
http://www.edcm.org.uk
News story: EDCM welcomes child poverty measures in Budget
http://www.edcm.org.uk/Page.asp?originx_8517nb_90592704720430z48g_20083124852g
News story: EDCM supports calls for independent advocacy
http://www.edcm.org.uk/Page.asp?originx_7366pc_77925109350434f87e_20083114358k
To find out if your Local Authority have signed up to our charter please go to
http://www.edcm.org.uk/lacharterlist
