All Children Deserve Our Best

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 great life lessons in accepting others and ourselves as unique individuals with strengths and needs.

Child care providers benefit from inclusive child care in the following ways:

• Broadened teaching and personal experiences
• Expanded techniques for individualized activities
• Greater knowledge of available resources
• Increased opportunities to encourage acceptance of individual differences
  

How can you provide the best care for all children including those with special needs?

• Practice basic skills of patience, empathy and acceptance of each child as an individual.
• Provide a developmentally appropriate environment for all children in the program including those with special needs.
• Provide toys that are appropriate or can be easily adapted.
• Be prepared to assist students with specialized equipment (wheelchairs, hearing aids, etc.). Look to the child's family for information and guidance on the use of any special equipment.
• Ask parents for general information about the child's disability.
• Ask parents to help you think through the child's day in your program to help identify what changes or adaptations are needed, if any.
• Ask family about the child's strengths and interests.
• With the parent's consent, consult any specialists (pediatrician, social worker, public health nurse, therapist) 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).