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<p>Local authorities are required to secure sufficient childcare in their area, so
far as is practicable, for working parents, or parents who are studying or training
for employment, for children aged to 14 (or up to 18 for disabled children).</p><p>Since
2011, every local authority has also been under a duty to provide a range of short
breaks for disabled children and their families. Responsibility for funding short
breaks rests with local authorities. They are best placed and have the freedom to
decide how to deliver services, target their resources and priorities and be flexible
to meet the local needs of disabled children and young people.</p><p>Tax-free childcare
was introduced in 2017 to support families with the costs of childcare, for which
1.6 million families are eligible. For every £8 that parents pay into an online account,
the government pays £2 – up to a maximum contribution of £2,000 per child each year,
for children aged up to 12. Parents of disabled children receive extra support (worth
up to £4,000 per child, for each year and until their child is 17) which can be used
to pay for childcare provision both during term time and in school holidays.</p><p>
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