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FAMILIES AND COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS * 3 HOURS * LEVEL 2

Supporting Families with Special Needs

Page 3
Families with Special Needs
Families come in all shapes, sizes, and makeups. Blended, part-time, military, special needs; they are all families just the same. Each family has its own norms, challenges, and needs and families who have a member who has special needs are no different. They simply have a different set of challenges.

Whether a parent of a child in your program has a special need or the child in your program has a special need, it is important to understand the specific set of challenges that this family may have and how you can best support them.
There are many things that special needs families will seek out in a quality child care or early learning center.
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These almost always fall under three main categories:
​Safety
​Will their child be safe in your care? Can you administer medication? Are accommodations made for their child’s specific needs? Are there enough caregivers to adequately care for all of the children? Do the caregivers create a safe environment in their interactions with the children?
​Education
Can teachers educate their child on his or her level? Are there skilled educators? Can materials be adapted? What are the objectives and goals that the center wants to meet for academics?
​Social
Does the center value acceptance and understanding? Are children’s social and emotional needs addressed as much as their academic needs? Will they be in a nurturing environment? Do the kids feel comfortable?
​This training is designed to give directors, administrators and other leaders information and resources about how to best support families with special needs. Let’s begin diving into this concept to support those three categories.