Children with disabilities are three times more likely to be abused than nondisabled children. We know that finding the right daycare for your child with a disability is going to be challenging.
How can you trust that the daycare has staff and employees that are going to be kind, compassionate, and knowledgeable to safely take care of your child?
There are three things you need to consider when choosing a daycare for your child.
- First, it's important to find a daycare that understands your child's disability needs and has the capability to take care of your child. Now, this could mean that the staff is specifically trained on caring for your child's disability. Or maybe it means that the daycare has enough staff and resources to accommodate your child's needs. A daycare is not allowed to deny your child solely because of a disability, but they can and must be upfront about whether they have the means to care for your child.
- Second, visit the daycare and trust your instincts. Check it out. See if it feels safe to you. If your child uses a wheelchair, check if the facility is wheelchair accessible. If your child is on the autism spectrum, think about whether the environment and the atmosphere is going to be supportive to your child who might experience sensory sensitivities.
- And third, if you can get to know the staff at the daycare, do what you can to learn about their training and experience with children who have special needs. Watch how they interact with children when you're visiting.
It's important that you believe that they're kind, compassionate, and patient. It's hard to leave your child with people you don't know. It's even harder for parents that have children with disabilities. There's a lot more on your plate to consider, and that's why we offer free information to help you find the right daycare for your child. Please reach out to us with any daycare questions you have. We're here to do more to help keep you and your family moving forward.
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