Have you seen the news? The Times recently reported that our Government is planning to take EHCPs away from children with speech and language challenges. Picking on children who already find it hardest to be heard just wouldn’t be fair. Will you stand up for children’s rights?

Children with speech and language challenges fight every day to get the help they need. Now journalists are saying that the Government may be about to make that fight even harder. Together, we must call on the Government to think again, before it’s too late.

Education, health and care plans (EHCPs) exist to help children with special educational needs and disabilities get the support they need to thrive. It’s not a perfect system – and we would love to help improve it. But now reports suggest that our Government is thinking about taking even this basic protection away from the 78,000 children who have an EHCP primarily because of their speech and language challenges. This would be cruel and counterproductive. We must act now to stop this. Fund the fight.

It’s our Government’s job to look after the most vulnerable in our society. But instead of investing in the specialists, training, and practical tools that would transform the lives of children with speech and language challenges, the news suggests the Government seems to be failing them once again.

We know that the EHCP system is flawed; we’ve warned the Government about it for years and it needs urgent change. But removing this vital legal protection from children with speech and language challenges without talking to families or offering better support is not the answer. It might save money in the short term, but at a devastating cost.

With our supporters, we’ve been shouting about this ever since we saw the news – and the Government has noticed. They are talking to us about how they can deliver a better system. With your help, we can keep pushing them to make positive changes so that:

• families and schools can get specialist help quickly for children who need it
• everyone who works with children knows how to help them with talking and understanding words
• every child who needs help can get it, including tools to check how they’re doing and programmes in schools to boost skills.

There’s no time to waste. Will you donate today and help us fight for children’s futures? We’re glad the Government is listening – we need to keep them listening, all the way to Number 10 and guarantee support for every child. Children with speech and language challenges are relying on us.