Camp Fire's Special Sitters Project addresses the need for respite care experienced by parents of disabled children. The project trains teenagers to care for young handicapped children and links the teenagers with parents who call for babysitting service. The project has been successfully replicated in five communities. (Author/JDD)

An administrative and curriculum guide are presented for the High School/Preschool Partnership Program in which high school students gain experience with handicapped preschoolers in a mainstreamed setting. The program is intended to expand services to high schoolers (parenting skills and career skills) as well as preschoolers. The administrative…

Project Neighborcare is a comprehensive inservice training program for family day care providers who care for the handicapped preschool children of working parents. The program uses an ecological framework and a consultative approach in an attempt to improve the early intervention skills of the providers. (Author/JDD)

In a program developed at Merrywood School (Bellevue, Washington), four key components were identified as critical to successfully placing disabled children in foster care: identification and recruitment of stable, motivated, and qualified foster parents; preparation of foster parents; support for foster parents' needs; and development of creative…

Four manuals on implementing the Partners Respite Model, which provides respite care for children with disabilities or chronic illnesses, comprise this document. The Community Planning Manual offers a step-by-step guide to replication of the Partners Respite Model and is divided into sections on developing the Partners program, implementing the…

Designed to provide information on child care options for children with special needs, this manual discusses the criteria necessary to implement services. Section 1 answers questions regarding referrals, resources, and benefits for the disabled child and family, as well as for child care providers and agency staff. Section 2 addresses seven action…

This article offers guidelines for designing inservice education for personnel working with young children with disabilities and their families. Discussion covers definitions, assumptions, support and start up, initial planning, program design, evaluation, implementation, and follow-up. It identifies special considerations and circumstances…

Temporary child care programs, such as crisis nurseries or respite care services for children with special needs, need to develop and implement a risk management program to address any difficulties that might be encountered in providing direct care services. Risk management is a structured process to minimize potential liability, avoid harm to…

This article describes a comprehensive, credentialed training program for family child-care providers that is family-centered, community-based, and focuses on developmentally appropriate practices for all children, including those with disabilities. The development of and rationale for this program are discussed, and a description of field test…

Intended for use in Florida training programs for caregivers of infants and toddlers with disabilities, this guide presents an overview of the Model of Interdisciplinary Training for Children with Handicaps (MITCH); offers a user's guide to the series; and provides specific information for presenting Module 6, which focuses on planning an…

The report presents evaluation data on the Cross-Program Training Project to train foster parents, teachers, and social workers who are jointly responsible for the care of special needs children, especially preschoolers. The project featured five major components: (1) site development, (2) training needs assessment on which to develop programing,…

This fact sheet offers basic information on developing and implementing rural respite and crisis nursery programs. It first defines "respite" as temporary relief for caregivers and families of children with disabilities, chronic or terminal illnesses, and/or for children at risk of abuse and neglect. It also defines "rural" and…

Intended for use in a four-semester occupational child care program for 11th- or 12th-grade and adult students, this curriculum guide provides instructional materials covering basic information and skills for operating a child care center or a family day care home. It includes 4 sections and 23 instructional units. Each unit of instruction…

Group family day care providers need to create high-quality programs where children have opportunities to grow, learn and thrive. Part of providing high-quality child care includes complying with the group family day care regulations from the New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS). This Handbook will help day care providers:…