SEN and the Funding Gap: When the Children Who Need the Most Get the Least

Inclusion should be more than a word — it’s a promise.
A promise that every child, no matter their background or ability, will have access to the education, care, and support they need to thrive. Yet across the UK, this promise is being broken.

The reality is heart-breaking: the children who need the most help are often the ones receiving the least.

At Free Childcare UK, our team of passionate early years professionals witnesses the consequences of funding shortfalls for children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) every day.

Not long ago, funding for SEN support was far more accessible. But in recent years, we’ve seen monumental cuts from local authorities to childcare settings and schools.

In early years settings, the process for securing funding has become slow, inconsistent, and often ineffective. Many children require 1-to-1 support, yet applications for funding are lengthy, complex, and frequently denied. Even when approved, the funding rarely covers the true costs of the additional care required.

Meanwhile, the number of children with additional needs has risen significantly — but there has been no corresponding increase in resources or support for parents, carers, or childcare providers.

The underfunding of early years care is taking a devastating toll on practitioners.
Low funding and poor pay have pushed thousands of experienced professionals out of the sector, leaving behind a workforce stretched thin and low in morale.

New practitioners are entering the field, but the loss of experience and expertise is immense. SENCO (Special Educational Needs Coordinator) training is difficult to access, and teams are expected to manage an ever-growing range of needs — from allergies and learning difficulties to neurological and physical challenges — all while supporting children’s emotional wellbeing and their families.

To make matters worse, waiting lists for paediatricians, speech and language therapists, child psychologists, and other specialists are outrageously long, delaying crucial early interventions.

Behind every statistic is a child struggling to be seen, heard, and understood.

We speak so often about “inclusive education,” but without proper funding, inclusion risks becoming just a buzzword.

Children with additional needs are frequently left without the specialist support required to help them learn, engage, and build confidence alongside their peers. Parents find themselves fighting — time and again — for the most basic provisions.

Some families are forced to pay privately for assessments and therapies, while others simply cannot afford to. The result is a two-tier system, where access to essential support depends not on need, but on privilege.

This isn’t inclusion. It’s inequality.

Supporting children with additional needs should never be seen as optional. It’s not charity — it’s justice. Every child deserves an education that meets their individual needs and allows them to flourish.

Addressing the SEN funding gap demands urgent, systemic reform, including:

This isn’t just about funding — it’s about values. It’s about the kind of society we want to build: one where every child, regardless of ability, has the opportunity to succeed.

Inclusion isn’t a luxury — it’s a moral obligation.

When children who need the most get the least, we lose more than funding. We lose compassion, fairness, and the belief that every child truly matters.

The SEN funding gap is more than an administrative issue — it’s a reflection of how we value our most vulnerable young people.

It’s time to close that gap — not just with policy, but with purpose.