Children: Disability

The government is committed to improving access to high-quality holiday provision for school-aged children, including those with disabilities. Through the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme, we are investing over £600 million across 2026/27 to 2028/29 to provide free holiday club places, healthy meals and enriching activities for eligible children during school holidays in England.

Local authorities are responsible for assessing local needs and ensuring HAF provision is inclusive and accessible. Guidance for local authorities sets out clear expectations on making HAF provision accessible for children with disabilities and a wide range of needs. HAF funding gives local authorities the flexibility to meet the sometimes higher costs of specialist provision, and to use up to 15% of HAF funding to provide free holiday places for children who are not eligible for HAF but who could benefit, including children with disabilities.

We are also providing local authorities with £12.9 million in 2026/27 to support their statutory duty to secure sufficient childcare, including provision for disabled children up to 18 years. As part of this duty, local authorities should ensure they understand supply and demand for school-age childcare, including paid holiday provision, and the department works closely with local authorities to understand any sufficiency issues.