Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the accessibility for children with special educational needs and disability of 30 hours free childcare places.

We believe that every eligible child, regardless of their need or disability, should be able to access the 30 hours. The early implementation of 30 hours showed that local areas that had put in place measures to support the participation of special educational needs and disability (SEND) children were successful in delivering extended places to children with additional needs, including those with very complex needs.

We have put in place a range of measures to support local areas. Our National Funding Formula includes an additional needs factor which directs more funding to local authorities with more need. And our new Disability Access Fund, worth £615 per child, and the requirement that local authorities establish a SEN Inclusion Fund, will help to ensure children with SEND can access and get the best from the 30 hours. The department has also awarded grants to support children with SEND to five Voluntary and Community Sector organisations, worth over £1.5 million, and Childcare Works, our 30 hours’ delivery contractor, hosted events in July and September focused on supporting local authorities and providers to implement the 30 hour offer for children with SEND.