Over £400,000 in UK-wide funding available for hearing technology and British Sign Language learning Family Fund has partnered with the National Deaf Children’s Society to launch a new UK-wide support programme, and families of deaf children are being encouraged to apply.
The programme is open to families of children with hearing loss aged 11 and under and provides funding for hearing technology and British Sign Language (BSL) learning, helping children to communicate, learn and take part more fully in everyday life.
Around 600 families across the UK are expected to benefit. With a total grant value of over £400,000, the programme will fund vital technology, such as hearing aids, to support children’s hearing and communication needs, alongside BSL courses to help families communicate more effectively and support their child’s development.
By supporting both technology and language learning, the programme aims to help remove barriers to inclusion and enhance the lives of deaf children and their families. Deaf children can face barriers from an early age, particularly when services, education and everyday environments are not designed with deafness in mind.
Many families experience delays in accessing the right support, face additional costs linked to communication and learning, or struggle to access support that enables their child to feel more included at home, in school and in the wider community. Without the right tools and understanding in place, these challenges can affect children’s development at a crucial stage. This programme has been designed to respond directly to those challenges, offering practical support where it is most needed. Family Fund will deliver the programme on behalf of the National Deaf Children’s Society, combining Family Fund’s experience of delivering grants to families with the charity’s specialist knowledge of deafness, family support and inclusion.
Cheryl Ward CBE, Group Chief Executive of Family Fund says:
“Families raising deaf children often face additional costs and delays in accessing the right support at a crucial stage of their child’s development. This new partnership with the National Deaf Children’s Society will help remove some of those barriers by providing practical support where it can make a real difference. By funding both assistive technology and British Sign Language learning, this programme supports not just children’s communication needs, but the whole family’s ability to connect, learn and thrive together. We are proud to deliver this programme and work alongside the National Deaf Children’s Society to help ensure deaf children have the tools and opportunities they need to reach their full potential.”
George Crockford, Chief Executive at the National Deaf Children’s Society, said:
“We’re delighted to partner with Family Fund in supporting families with deaf children who would benefit from extra support. Many families experience delays or barriers to securing the essential support that their deaf children need. Now we can reach out to them with immediate support at a crucial time in their children’s development.This partnership with Family Fund supplements our vital work and will enable us to get targeted support to deaf children and their families when they need it most.”
Applications will be made through Family Fund and are open now. Families, along with schools, health professionals, audiology services, and local organisations, are encouraged to share information about the programme to help ensure eligible families are aware of the support available.
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