Reflections – Supporting Children With Chronic Medical Conditions in the Early Years Foundation Stage: a Case for Discrimination?

In April 2014, section 100 of the Children and Families Act (2014) legislated to strengthen the support given to children in schools with chronic medical conditions. However, the Act does not include children in the foundation stage because the former Education Minister, Michael Gove, stated in a Written Ministerial Statement (DfE, 2014) that the supporting pupils with chronic medical conditions guidance “will not apply to early years provision as there is already sufficient coverage of this issue in the statutory Early Years Foundation Stage”. The aim of this paper was to consider the challenges and considerations to inclusion that children face as a consequence of symptoms of chronic medical conditions in their early childhood care and education. It concludes by suggesting that a lack of such legislation could be discriminatory for young children who are in need of extra support as a consequence of the presence of chronic medical conditions.