Support for children with disabilities

Being a kinship carer can be challenging. When a child you care for has a disability or special educational needs, you may need extra support.

This advice applies to: England and Wales

  • 11% of children in the UK have a disability

  • 47% of kinship children have a special educational need or disability

Looking after a child with a disability or special education needs can be challenging but rewarding. And at times it may feel overwhelming. But you are not alone.

In our Forgotten report (2024), nearly half (47%) of children cared for by those who responded were reported to have a special educational need or disability.

Understanding what support, you’re entitled to, and how to access it, will help you to meet the child’s needs and give them the best quality of life you can.

The Equality Act 2010 defines a disability as having a physical and/or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on a person’s ability to carry out their day-to-day activities.

Carers UK is a national charity that supports unpaid carers. They have a wide range of advice, guides, tools and practical support on their website.

Contact, the charity for families with disabled children, offers a range of advice and support, including the Listening Ear telephone support service and a helpline.

The Family Fund provides grants to families on low incomes who are raising a disabled or seriously ill child or young person.

NNPCF is a network of over 153 parent carer forums across England. Each Parent Carer Forum includes parent carers of children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities.