In 2021, around 409,000 children and young people under the age of 20 were receiving AEEH support. A recent study by the DREES has highlighted the specific nature of childcare arrangements for children receiving the AEEH (Blavet et al., 2023). From birth, the care arrangements for children with disabilities differ from those for other children: before the age of 3, 78 per cent of children receiving AEEH are looked after exclusively by their parents, compared with 56 per cent of other children. When a child with a disability under the age of three attends a nursery or is looked after by a childminder, the hours spent in care are fewer than for other children. At the age of three, children receiving AEEH are less likely to be in school (78%) than other children, almost all of whom are in school (98%).
Given the specific nature of this care, which involves parents to a greater extent, it can be assumed that the birth of a child with a disability, or the diagnosis and recognition of a disability in a child who will receive AEEH support, has a greater impact on the parents’ – particularly the mothers’ – career paths and on household income than the arrival of a child without a recognised disability.
The impact of the birth of a child with a disability on parents’ career paths and household income
Project Status
Ongoing
