A Teacher in Training

Finding a day care program that is the right fit for a regularly developing school-age child can be a challenge. But it can be even more difficult when you have a child with special needs. Perhaps, in an ideal world, the parents of a physically or mentally challenged child would be able to stay home with their child 24 hours a day, but in reality, many parents in the United States have to work.

In fact, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of families in 2013 that have both parents working was 59.1 percent. And, of course, many single parents also have to work as well. So what should you look for if you need to find day care for your special needs, school-age child?

Talk with the Day Care Program's Administrator

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), day care programs must comply with the ADA, which means they cannot discriminate against a child because of their disability. The two caveats are your child cannot pose a direct threat to others and the program cannot be forced to make a major alteration to their fundamental program.

When searching for a day care program, you should ask if you can set up an appointment to speak with its head administrator. During your meeting, you should then:

• Discuss your child's special needs and requirements. Ask the administrator if the program's staff has the appropriate training to deal with your child's special needs. For example, if your child has special medical needs, such as diabetes, your child will need someone on staff who can deal with any complications as soon as they arise. 

Staff Size

When you visit the facility, ask what the staff to child ratio is. You want a facility that will not have one adult trying to keep an eye on a big group of children. This is especially important if you have a physically or mentally challenged child. For example, Childcare Aware recommends for a group of four-year-olds, there should be at least one adult for every ten children

Willing to Work With Your Local School District

Even if you are not planning on putting your child in a public school, you may want to have them evaluated for an individualized education program, also commonly referred to as an IEP. If your child is found eligible through the IEP, they can then receive special services -- such as hearing, speech or occupational therapy -- from the school system. And in some cases, your special needs child could attend a full or partial day in a public school and then go to a day care program afterwards. Either way, you will need to talk to the day care program that you are interested in to see if they would be willing to:

• Work with pickup and drop-off of your child from the public school. If your child's IEP includes transportation services, the school should be responsible for transporting your special needs child to and from the daycare. However, the daycare must be willing to get your child ready to meet the transportation or to get them off a bus or other vehicle when they return. 

Once you do find a day care program you feel comfortable to leave your child with, it is important you do your part, as well. For example, always keep the day care program up to date on your contact information. Unfortunately, parents sometimes forget to inform their schools and day care programs of these types of changes, which can make it very difficult for them to reach you if an emergency should arise.