Day Care Centers - what the law says

February 28, 2006

They can't deny them maybe - I've not checked into the law -- but if they were

equipped to work with them - and if they actually did - then there would be more

children with disabilities in daycare settings.

And from my experience - that is NOT the case. My #2 request for information

is from parents wanting to know what daycare's accept children with

disabilities.

Right, Wrong, or whatever --- day care centers are NOT equipped to work with

or even watch - our kiddo's with disabilites. The staff is paid, what, minimum

wage or a little more? There is what- a 20:1 ratio. How does that work when

one or two children would be needing 1:1 care? Toileting? Tube feeding?

Wandering off? Aggressive behavior issues?

What the law says - and what the day care centers can actually do -- are two

very different things....

That is one of the things brought up in Austin --- giving day care centers

incentives to take children with disabilities. Funding for the additional

staff, etc.

I'm not saying there aren't places that do that -- but they are the exception

and not the norm.

What is the norm - is that parents have little to no choices in day care

options for their children with autism or any disability that requires 1:1 care.

Hence why I'm not a part of the workforce....

This issue is right up there with " Free and APPROPRIATE public education " --

we all know it's the law - but often what actually " is " is very different.....

Sincerely,

Guppy

Anne wrote:

,

With all due respect, I am a child development major in college and one of the

things covered in both my " Child With Special Needs " and " Intro to Early

Childhood " classes is the law regarding children with special needs being in

daycare. They can NOT deny childcare based on disability.

M. Guppy - What we do for ourselves lasts only a moment; but what we

do for others ~ lasts a lifetime...

Don't tell God how big your storm is, tell the storm how big your God is!

Listowner & Facilitator of: www.TexasAutismAdvocacy.org

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