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This material is based upon work supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Office of Family Policy, Children and Youth, U.S. Department of Defense 

under Award No. 2010‐48869‐20685. 

Understanding the needs of military families

Meeting the requirements of the law

Making inclusion work for everyone

Wendy KruseMilitary Spouse, Advocate, and Founder and CEO of the Military Special Needs Network

Dr. Susan CraigTeacher Trainer and Consultant with SEC Enterprises and AGH Associates, Inc. & Co‐Author of “Including All Children” 

From the From the Family Family Perspective Perspective

• Moving Cross Country (PCS)• Children with Disabilities• Spouse deployed• Limited family support

Military Families & Child Care

The pressure and emotional strain for military families can be overwhelming.

y pp• Unfamiliar duty stations• Waiting Lists• Lack of accommodations for

children with disabilities

• Stationed far away from family

• Isolated at installations

• Limited support

We face obstacles within military culture such as:

i

Challenges of Military Families

How might these unique obstacles affect child care?

• Preparations

• Separations

• Deployments

• Homecoming

• Reintegration

Challenges of Military Special Needs Parents

countless doctor & specialist appointments

juggling therapies

eligibility for stateservices

j gg g p

special education meetings

sibling support

medications

finding child care&

respite care

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One mom’s “care map”Reprinted with permissionhttp://bit.ly/19tmw8u

As military spouses, we often carry the responsibilities of 

our home, finances, work, and school alone

Availability of Inclusive Child Care

• Lengthy wait lists

• Limited providers who are willing to care for a child with disabilities

Child Care Issues

• Providers may have limited training on specific special needs

• Denial of services because of complex medical needs; Lengthy appeals process

• Provider ability to administer medications (epilepsy, diabetes, epi pen)

• Limited accommodations = few options

Child care hours

• Often during traditional working hours only

• Lack of available emergency/back-up care

Other Issues with Child Care

EFMP Respite care – Child Care Aware/NACCRRA

• Must have child with more complex medical issues

• Recent sequestration and budget cuts = fewer families can access the program

Acceptance of our children and their individual needs as well as our diverse military culture

RELIABLE

TRUSTWORTHY

SAFE ENVIRONMENT

HAPPY

INCLUSIVE

HEALTHY

What We’re Looking for in a Provider

Continuity of care: Consistencies in providers

Providers who are not intimidated by special needs

Flexible hours and/or an emergency plan

Providers willing to learn simple individualized techniques, such as following child’s schedule or doing a particular exercise

Providers get to know our children and family and empathize with our unique needs

Providers who can be a friend

Military Families want….

Compromise

Give and

Meeting in the Middle

We want to meet you in the middle and, together, come up with the best solutions for the well-being of our

special children.

and Take

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Building Relationships with Military Families

RAPPORT TRUST PARTNERSHIP

From the From the ProviderProviderPerspectivePerspective

A warm, welcoming environment

What is Inclusive Child Care?

that welcomes all children and

families

• Knowledge of the disability laws and regulations that pertain to childcare programs

• Enrollment procedures that anticipate the participation of children with disabilities

What does it involve?

participation of children with disabilities

• Placement of children with chronologically-aged peers in the least restrictive environment

• A network of resources and supports you can call upon

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) (1991) and the Individuals with

What laws support inclusive care?

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) (2004) support the right of children and their parents to inclusive child care

• Enroll children with disabilities unless they pose a direct threat to the health and safety of others, or threaten the integrity of the program

The ADA says child care programs must:

• Make reasonableaccommodations that are readily achievable, and that do not cause an undue burden on program resources

• Provide services and auxiliary devices that ensure effective communication with children with disabilities

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The IDEA says child care programs must:

Have enrollment procedures that do not discriminate against children with disabilities

Guarantee placement with chronologically-aged peers in the least restrictive or natural environment

Collaborate with Early Intervention team when requested to by parents

Resistance to change

Fear of failure

Over emphasis on the

Common barriers to inclusive care

differences among children

Policies and procedures that inadvertently discriminate

Common concerns

Unusual Behaviors

Toileting

Transitions with Chronological Peers

Field Trips

Medical Procedures

For families of children with disabilities

For children with disabilities

Benefits of Inclusive Care

For children with typical developmental

expectancies

For childcare programs

Preparing for Inclusion

Revise program policies and procedures to ensure that parents know that children with disabilities are welcome and provided for.

Get training that reassures staff that theyhave the knowledge and competencies they

1 2need to care for children with disabilities.

Build a network of resources you can rely onwhen children with disabilities enroll.

Be available to support staff efforts tothink/act inclusively.

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Connect with Our Presenters

Wendy KruseE:mail: militaryspecialneedsnetwork@gmail.com

Website: http://militaryspecialneedsnetwork.com/

Dr. Susan CraigE:mail: susancraig1689@gmail.com

Website: http://www.schoolhousedoor.com

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RECOMMENDED RESOURCESFor Families:

• Military Special Needs Network http://militaryspecialneedsnetwork.com/

• The Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) – wealth of information, including an installation program directory to help families locate their local Family Support/EFMP office http://www.militaryonesource.mil/efmp

• “Education Directory for Children with Special Needs” (DoD)  ‐ info on national y p ( )and state trends; directory of special education and early intervention services in the fifteen states  with the highest concentration of military personnel http://apps.militaryonesource.mil/MOS/f?p=EFMP_DIRECTORY:HOME:0

• “Special Needs Parent Toolkit, Birth to 18” (DoD) – available in 8 additional languages http://www.militaryonesource.mil/efmp/parent‐tool‐kit?content_id=268726

• “Choosing High Quality Child Care for a Child with Special Needs” – helpful pamphlet for parents from Child Care Aware http://ccapub.childcareaware.org/docs/pubs/102e.pdf

RECOMMENDED RESOURCESFor Early Care and Education Professionals/Programs:

• Including All Children – self‐paced learning modules, trainer’s guide, DVDs  (infant/toddler & preschool editions)  http://www.schoolhousedoor.com/media/agh/index‐ec.htm

• Kids Included Together (KIT) ‐ training, resources http://www.kitonline.org/

• Center for Inclusive Child Care – resources for supporting inclusive child care in community settings, including free online training & newsletter (MN) http://www.inclusivechildcare.org

• Admission Policies and Practices That Build Inclusive Childcare Communities ‐resources sample policies etc ; Center for Community Inclusion & Disability Studies U of MEresources, sample policies, etc.; Center for Community Inclusion & Disability Studies, U of MEhttp://ccids.umaine.edu/resources/ec‐growingideas/admissionsll/ 

• Quality Indicators of Inclusive Early Childhood Programs/Practices: A Compilation of Selected Resources  ‐ recommended assessment/evaluation instruments http://www.nectac.org/~pdfs/pubs/qualityindicatorsinclusion.pdf

• The Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center – a wealth of resources for providers, programs and state agencies /organizations on meeting the needs of children with disabilities http://www.ectacenter.org/ 

• The Technical Assistance Center on Social Emotional Intervention – free resources to support social‐emotional outcomes for young children with, or at risk for, delays or disabilities  http://www.challengingbehavior.org/

RECOMMENDED RESOURCESFor Early Care and Education Professionals/Programs (con’t):

• The Child Care Law Center: Children with Disabilities resources http://www.childcarelaw.org/issues‐disabilities.shtml

• Council for Exceptional Children: Division of Early Childhood (DEC) – DEC has a collection of recommended practices resources that are the standard for the field http://www.dec‐sped.org/Store/Recommended_Practices

• NAEYC Position Statements on Inclusion

• Full statement: http://wwwnaeyc org/files/naeyc/file/positions/DEC NAEYC EC updatedKS pdf• Full statement: http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/DEC_NAEYC_EC_updatedKS.pdf

• Summary: http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/DEC_NAEYC_ECSummary_A.pdf Sept. 17Understanding theLanguage of Behavior

Oct. 15When Children Withdraw

Nov. 19When Children are Aggressive

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Military Families Learning Network – Child Care Page: Find links to articles and social media channels blogs.extension.org/militaryfamilies/child‐care/

To ask questions about the presentation and to continue the discussion please join our private group oncontinue the discussion, please join our private group on 

LinkedIn: http://linkd.in/w75WTz

If you have specific questions about the Military Families Learning Network: Child Care project,

contact Kathy at kreschke@uga.edu

Note: Photos in this presentation were used with permission.. The majority are the property of www.defenseimagery.mil .