Nursery World - Questions over cash given to play facilities (1)

Disabled children across England may lose out on play facilities and opportunities if the Government decides to allocate 200m of New Opportunities Fund money earmarked for play in the poorest 50 areas of the country. The warning by the national disabled children's charity KIDS, which incorporates the inclusive play organisation Kidsactive, was made last week following the publication of a report, Getting serious about play, by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).

The warning by the national disabled children's charity KIDS, which incorporates the inclusive play organisation Kidsactive, was made last week following the publication of a report, Getting serious about play, by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).

KIDS chief executive Dr Sam Brier said the charity welcomed the report's findings and its emphasis on the inclusion of disabled children and young people. But he said he was concerned that 'if the funds are distributed simply on the basis of geographical areas of deprivation, many disabled children will once again miss out'.

Dr Brier said, 'Families of disabled children are predisposed to a greater degree of financial hardship than others, irrespective of their geographical location. We would like to see the option of some funds being allocated to inclusive play work in every region being adopted.'

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