Special Needs Per-Service Planning

POLICY: Childcare personnel must have a signed verification form from a licensed health professional such as Physician, Nurse Practitioner, or Physician’s Assistant, to provide the necessary care for the child. The childcare program will follow the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) laws.

The childcare center will follow the Americans with Disabilities Act.

PURPOSE: To assure every child receives equal opportunity for the best quality care.

To work in collaboration with health care providers, parents/legal guardians, and other professionals to meet the child’s needs.

To follow ADA laws.

To assure that no child suffers any injury while in childcare.

PROCEDURE:

Upon enrollment, if a parent/legal guardian states the child has special needs or a chronic health condition:

1. Alert the parent to the laws on special needs: Childcare and ADA 
2. Begin a special needs pre-service plan with information provided by parent/legal guardian. Identify the following and determine if accommodating the child will be reasonable or impossible.
   1. What additional care is needed in a group setting? Does the child need additional one-to-one care aside from diaper changes?
   2. How much time is needed for the extra care?
   3. What might limit care in a group?
   4. What resources are available to assist with the limitation?
   5. How do parents meet the need at home? Can it be replicated?
   6. Does the child have medical equipment or supplies? What responsibility is expected from staff related to the equipment or supplies?
   7. How were parents/guardians trained on the special care needed? Can staff be trained? Time and cost of re-training new staff if there is staff turnover?
   8. How often the does child’s condition change? Frequency of complications?
   9. How often are medical emergencies anticipated?
3. Determine if the childcare program can reasonably care for the child.
   1. Adequate staffing?
   2. All children will be safe and free from harm?
   3. Special needs child will receive equal opportunity and quality care?
   4. Are there other better alternatives for the child?
4. If special needs are discovered later, follow the same procedure as in step #1.
5. Once the decision is made to care for the child, a plan will be developed. See B-6 for a template.
6. If the child needs referrals to additional services and you are unsure where to refer them, contact your Nurse Consultant.