Child Care and Early Learning Providers
Welcome
Children with Special Health Care Needs in Child Care
Helpful Organizations
Welcome!
This page provides some basic information and resources for child care and early learning providers who take care of one or more infants or children with special health care needs. These are children who have disabilities, special health care needs, and/or challenging behaviors who also need extra support in order to be included in a child care or out-of-school time program.
Children with Special Health Care Needs in Child Care
Caring for Children Within a Medical Home Handout
Explains what a medical home is and supportive roles child care providers can take in a medical home. One page.
www.healthychildcare.org/pdf/Medical_Home.pdf 
The Center for Children with Special Needs, Seattle Children's Hospital, Seattle
The Center has many resources on the website's Childcare, Schools and Community page that are helpful for child care and early learning providers. Resources include:
Child Care and the ADA: find information and resources about the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and child care for professionals and families.
Playground Safety for Your Child with Special Needs: general safety tips, resources, and information about ADA accessibility for playgrounds for parents, caregivers, and professionals (information also in Spanish, Russian and Vietnamese).
Talking With Parents: find resources, information and tips for childcare professionals who communicate with parents and caregivers of children with special needs.
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Medical Home: Families and Providers Working Together Brochure
Provides definitions, benefits and tips for families about having a Medical Home for their child in Washington State. Available in PDF format in: English and Spanish. How to order: Medical Home Leadership Network,
Kate Orville, orville@u.washington.edu, (206) 685-1279
Include Me- Guide to Inclusive Child Care
Excellent, easy to read guide developed in Washington to help child care providers include young children with special health or developmental needs in their programs. 15 pages.
http://www1.dshs.wa.gov/pdf/publications/22-486.pdf
Sharing Concerns with Families
For most parents, family members, childcare providers, friends, and physicians, sharing concerns about a child’s development can be a challenging and daunting task.
- Sharing Concerns- Helpful tips and encouragement to help you get the conversation started with parents. With caring support, and open communication, parents can begin to take action. Developed by First Signs -- a national non-profit organization focused on educating parents and pediatric professionals about the early warning signs of autism and other developmental disorders. www.firstsigns.org/concerns/sharing.htm
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People Who Can Help Families Find Services For Their Children
Family Health Hotline
Statewide, toll-free Information and Referral Line from WithinReach to connect families to free or low-cost health insurance, food resources, immunizations, breastfeeding support, family planning services, parenting support, child development screening services, and many other social and health programs, including information for children with special health care needs. Access to interpretive service for 50 languages. Funding from the Department of Health.
1-800-322-2588 or 1-800-833-6388 (tty relay)
www.withinreachwa.org/hotlines
Washington State Medical Home Quick Key Contacts List
1-800 Family Health Hotline, Infant Toddler Early Intervention Program Family Resources Coordinators, Children with Special Health Care Coordinators, and Parent Support Groups
Washington State Medical Home Local Resources by County
Child Growth and Development Materials
CHILD Profile - Health Promotion Materials
Letters and brochures with age-specific child health, growth, safety and development information for parents of children birth to 6 years. CHILD Profile is Washington State's award winning health promotion and immunization registry system to help ensure our children receive the preventive care they needs. All materials in English and Spanish.
www.childprofile.org/hpmats/default.html
Child Care and the Americans with Disabilities Act Booklet.
This booklet gives child care and after-school providers and families useful information and resources about the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and child care. Prepared for the Washington State Department of Health CSHCN Program by the Center for Children with Special Needs at Seattle Children's Hospital.
Download Booklet (409 KB) at www.cshcn.org/forms/ada_booklet_web.pdf
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Helpful Organizations
Washington State Child Care Resource and Referral Network
Working through 18 local child care resource and referral programs serving every county in the state, the Network helps child care providers by offering professional training, educational scholarships, and resources. The Network is a private, not-for-profit agency.
Phone 1-800-446-1114 or (253) 383-1735.
Healthy Child Care Washington
Local Health Department Child Care Consultants
Families and professional caregivers of young children find the support they need through Healthy Child Care Washington (HCCW), a network of Child-Care Health Consultants that serves local health jurisdictions (health departments and districts). Child-Care Health Consultants work with local child-care providers, families, child-care licensors, Child-Care Resource & Referral programs, and others in the community.
Consultants offer assistance on a variety of topics, such as:
- growth and development
- child-care environments
- children with special needs
- infants and toddlers
- communicable disease
- health plans and policies
- emotional/behavioral concerns
- oral health
- nutrition
- SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome)
www.doh.wa.gov/cfh/mch/cahcp/child_care.htm
Healthy Child Care Washington Website
www.healthychildcare-wa.org/
Healthy Child Care America
HCCA, housed at the American Academy of Pediatrics, has helpful information for how child care providers can support children with special health care needs and their families.
Washington State Infant Toddler Early Intervention Program (ITEIP)
Provides early intervention services, including family resources coordination, for eligible children from birth to age 3 and their families
http://www1.dshs.wa.gov/iteip/index.html
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