Do you live in England? Join us for a Q&A on Education, Health and Care plans in our closed Facebook Group
You may be in the process of applying for an Education, Health and Care plan (EHCP) for your child or you may be experiencing extra challenges in getting the support outlined in your child’s plan due to the pandemic.
To help with all things EHCP, we are running a special Facebook Q&A hosted by Contact’s fantastic helpline education advisers on Thursday 11 Feb between 2-4pm. To take part you'll need to join our closed (private) Facebook Group - a safe space for you to discuss your concerns and share your tips.
New Scottish Child Payment starts next week – get your claim in by Monday 15 Feb
The Scottish Child Payment, a new benefit for low income families in Scotland with young children starts next week. Contact is urging eligible families to apply for the new benefit before Monday 15 Feb. Payments can't be backdated so if you don't want to miss out act now by applying. If you live in Scotland, and are on certain low income benefits, you can receive an extra £10 per week from Social Security Scotland for each child in your family who is aged under 6.
Oral care and chewing products in our online Fledglings shop
Does your child feel the need to bite or chew? There may be a lot of reasons for this such as frustration, stress, anxiety, the desire to communicate or the need for sensory stimulation. Chewing or biting can also be a comforting activity. You’ll find a wide range of safe chewing and biting aids in our online Fledglings shop like our Chewable P&Q and Chewable Disc Pendant or the Chewbuddy Stickman. Take a look in our shop for all products to help with oral care and chewing.
Contact CEO talks special schools on BBC Newsnight
Our CEO Amanda Batten was interviewed on BBC Newsnight last week about the low numbers of children with special educational needs able to attend school this lockdown - despite being entitled to. In recognition of the difficulties for special schools and their staff who often have to give close intimate care, Contact is calling for them to be seen as part of the care workforce and be prioritised for Covid-19 vaccine.
MPs investigate child poverty - send your views
A new inquiry on child poverty has been set up by a group of cross-party MPs that make up the Work and Pensions Select Committee. Contact's own research of census data shows that when compared to non-disabled children, disabled children are more likely to live in a household without a car, in a home without central heating and in overcrowded accommodation. You can send your views on this topic to the Committee.
Free benefits check and grants search on our website
Did you know that we have a benefits calculator tool on our website, helping you to find out what financial support you might be entitled to? We also have a grants search tool, which you can use to see what grants might be available to your family. Both tools are provided by our partners Turn2us, a national charity that helps people in financial hardship to gain access to welfare benefits, charitable grants and support services.
Dates for your diary
Here you'll find our latest workshop sessions, webinars and more!
Do you live in the West Midlands? We have some fantastic online workshops available to help parent carers. 94% of families felt a positive impact from Contact's Brighter Beginnings workshops. So why not sign up to our series of workshops happening in February and March for parent carers in the West Midlands. Getting support early can make a huge difference and our workshops are for parent carers at all different stages of their child’s life including growing up, in the early years and in throughout school.
Get your free copy of our Helpful Guide sent to your letterbox
Our all-in-one book has all the information and help you need to enjoy family life. Get your free copy of our Helpful guide for families with disabled children straight to your letterbox.
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If you haven't already, subscribe to our other email newsletters or get your free copy of our Helpful guide for families with disabled children straight to your letterbox.
You can also visit the Contact website for advice and information about any concern you might, visit our Fledglings online shop full of practical products for your child and family, join our closed (private) Facebook group for parent carers or sign up to one of our virtual family workshops.
If you can't find what you need you can call Contact's free helpline on 0808 808 3555 between 9.30am-5pm Monday to Friday, use our Live Chat, or email [email protected].
And if you're interested in ways to support our work, find out about the Contact Weekly Lottery.
