Inclusion Services for Children with Special Needs
Local Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) agencies in Missouri have staff designated to promote Inclusive Services. Each agency has an Inclusion Specialist on staff to answer questions and provide technical assistance regarding Inclusion. CCR&R Inclusion-related services include:
• Child care referrals for families seeking
care for children with special needs
• Technical assistance for child care providers and families
• Training for child care providers
• Community public awareness activities
For more information or to contact an Inclusion
Specialist, please contact your local
CCR&R agency.
Families
What Is Inclusive Child
Care?
An inclusive child care program is dedicated to giving the best early
care and education possible to ALL children by making sure every child,
including children with special needs, feels welcome and important. Inclusion
teaches children and adults some great life lessons in accepting others
and ourselves as unique individuals with unique strengths and needs.
How Do I Find an Inclusive
Child Care Program?
Although there are some child care facilities that specialize in caring
for children with special needs, most facilities are not specialized.
You can call your local CCR&R agency for help finding a suitable program.
Each CCR&R agency in Missouri has staff available to help families
find inclusive child care programs in their communities. When looking
for child care, consider the following tips:
• Ask about the provider’s training, education, and experience.
• Observe the caregiver interact with the children in the program. Does she or he seem warm, friendly, patient, and involved?
• Look at the children in the program. Do they seem happy and involved?
• Ask to see a current license. Find out if the staff have been screened for child abuse/neglect.
• Ask about the number of caregivers in the program. Are there enough adults to care for the number and ages of the children?
How Do I Talk with My Own or Potential Providers?
• Talk clearly about your child’s strengths and unique qualities.
• Tell the child care provider about your child—his or her routine, likes, dislikes, what makes him or her happy or sad.
• Be honest about what your child needs, including any special assistance or equipment.
• Be willing to help your child care provider solve problems that might arise.
• Remember that you know your child better than anyone else. Stand up for your child’s rights and trust your knowledge and your ability to share what you have learned about your child.
What if a Provider Doesn’t Want to Take My
Child Because of His or
Her Special Needs?
With any child care facility, a good “fit”
is important. You want to find someone you can trust and with whom you
can develop a good working relationship. The Americans with Disabilities
Act (ADA) includes child care facilities as public accommodations responsible
for addressing the needs of people with disabilities just like theaters
and restaurants. This means that children with disabilities can no longer
be excluded from a program solely because of a disability.
Under the ADA, child care programs are required to make reasonable accommodations
in order to address the needs of individuals with disabilities. Imagination,
a positive attitude, and a
child-centered approach can usually produce creative and achievable accommodations.
How Will Other Children React to a Child with Special
Needs?
Young children are very accepting. When they watch adults who are warm
and accepting they will display warmth and acceptance. Rejection of children
with special needs is unusual. In fact, one of the benefits of inclusive
child care is increased sensitivity toward individual differences.
Can My Child’s Special Services be Coordinated with His or Her Child
Care?
It is important that everyone working with and caring for your child stay
connected. You can help make this happen by:
• Asking your child care provider to be included in Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP) or Individualized Education Plan (IEP) meetings.
• Asking your First Steps Service Coordinator to arrange for services to be delivered in the setting of your choice, including child care, if your child is under three years of age.
• Working with the person responsible for coordinating his or her services in your local public school system.
• Contacting your local CCR&R Inclusion Specialist for technical assistance.
Child Care Providers
Caring for children with special needs in your early childhood program can be one of the most rewarding — and challenging — experiences of your career. If you have already had classes or special training to help you care for children with special needs, these will be useful. You may also be surprised to find that many of the skills you already use to provide quality child care, such as patience, empathy, and a willingness to accept each child as an individual, are the same skills you will need to include a child with special needs in your program. By matching your skills and abilities with the needs of each child, you may find that the experience is satisfying for you and all the children and families in your program.
What Kinds of Special Needs Might I Encounter?
Children with special needs include children of all abilities, cultures,
races, and backgrounds. Like all children, they have individual interests,
likes, and dislikes. Some children with special needs have physical disabilities,
speech or other developmental delays, or difficulty interacting with other
children or adults. Special needs may be mild to moderate to severe in
range. Whatever the range of need, children with disabilities are more
like other children than they are different— they play, make friends,
feel pleasure or sadness, and need love and nurturing. Their families
need the same things all families need: respect, support and reassurance.
Those with very young children may still be learning how to best care
for their child. You can be a major source of support and information
for them.
Do Providers Need Special Skills or Equipment
to Accept Children with Special Needs into Their Programs?
Caring for children with special needs requires the same basic skills
(patience, empathy, and acceptance of each child as an individual) that
are needed to care for any child. It means providing a developmentally
appropriate environment for this child as well as all the children in
the program. Some children with special needs use specialized equipment
(wheelchairs, walkers, communication devices, hearing aids, etc.), but
many do not. Most toys and activities are appropriate or can be easily
adapted if necessary. Look to the child’s family for information
and guidance on the use of any special equipment.
How Do I Get Started?
When you are approached by the family of a child with special needs, listen
carefully. The parents or guardian are usually the best source of information
on the needs and care of their child. Some questions you may wish to ask
when you meet the family are:
• Tell me about your child.
• What is his or her daily routine?
• What toys and activities does your child enjoy?
• What make your child happy or sad? How does she convey those feelings? How is she best comforted?
• What are your child’s greatest strengths? What are his greatest challenges?
• Are there any special things we will need to do as we get acquainted?
• Does your child require special equipment, medication, or therapy that I should know about?
After I’ve Accepted a Child with Special Needs into My Program, 
What Should I Do?
• Talk to the parents and learn about the child's special need(s). Ask the parent for general information about the child’s special need(s).
• With the parent’s consent, consult the Specialists (pediatrician, social worker, CCR&R Inclusion Specialist, already working with the family.
• Be open to new ideas and suggestions.
• Be willing to participate in the child’s care plan through an Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP) or Individualized Education Plan (IEP).
Do I Have to Accept a Child with Special Needs
into My Program?
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) specifically
identifies child care programs as public accommodations and therefore
responsible for addressing the needs of people with disabilities just
like a theater or restaurant. This means that children with special needs
can no longer be excluded from a child care or preschool program solely
because of a disability.
Under the ADA, child care programs are required to make reasonable accommodations
in order to address the needs of individuals with disabilities. Imagination,
a positive attitude, and a child-centered approach can usually produce
creative and achievable accommodations.
Can I Charge More for Children with Special Needs in My Program?
You can raise overall rates for all families in your program as you see
fit, but you can not raise rates for one family and not others.
I Think a Child in My Program Has Developmental
Delays. What Should I Do?
For children under age 3, call Missouri’s First Steps Program toll-free
at 866-583-2392 or visit http://www.dese.mo.gov/divspeced/FirstSteps/index.html
for further direction. For children over 3, contact the local school district
for information on programs and services in the district. Developmental
testing and other services are also available through Parents as Teachers
(accessed through your local school district), local health care professionals,
and your local CCR&R agency Inclusion Specialists.
Where Do I Get More Information?
The Missouri Child Care Resource and Referral Network
has resources available to help you with information about a wide variety
of topics including inclusive child care. Every Missouri child care resource
and referral agency has staff available to help families and providers
create inclusive child care programs to meet the needs of children and
families. The CCR&R is also a good source of information on training
opportunities on inclusion and other topics.
You can reach your nearest CCR&R by calling toll free:
1-800-200-9017