The document offers proceedings of the First National Conference on Special Recreation for the handicapped which coincided with the dedication of White Oak Village/Mountwood Park (West Virginia), a recreational facility designed to serve as a national model for meeting the recreational needs of the handicapped. An introductory paper by E. Lehew…

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)

The comprehensive professional training program of a multiprogram child care agency is discussed in terms of its value for staff members in their day-to-day work with emotionally disturbed and handicapped children and their families. (Author/RH)

Basic information about respite care for individuals with disabilities and their families is presented in a question-and-answer format. The following questions are addressed: "What is respite?"; "Who needs respite services?"; "Who provides respite services?"; "What kinds of services are provided?"; "How…

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 final report discusses the Social Integration Project (SIP), designed to systematically integrate young handicapped children academically and socially into existing early education programs. Four goals were set forth: (1) placing handicapped children into local mainstream day care centers; (2) installing a comprehensive program and curriculum…

This report describes activities and accomplishments of the Community Options Project, a 5-year effort to enhance the capacity of eight local communities in New Hampshire and Maine to include young children (birth to age 6) with disabilities and their families in typical early childhood programs and to enhance the quality of these programs for all…

This introductory paper identifies critical issues related to organization of caregiving environments for young children with handicaps, including physical and programmatic features, transitions between activities, transition between special preschool and kindergarten settings, classroom organization, the social-physical environment, the home…

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…

This manual provides information to caregivers on how to successfully develop a child care center that includes children with disabilities. The benefits of inclusion for children, parents, and providers are identified. Principles for developing an inclusive program are noted, such as developing a partnership with a special education agency. The…

This newsletter theme issue looks at infant day care models including those emphasizing early intervention with special needs infants. The lead article, "Infants in Day Care: Reflections on Experiences, Expectations and Relationships," by Jeree H. Pawl, stresses the importance of understanding infants' and toddlers' capacities and needs in…

This manual is intended to facilitate the integration of children with mental handicaps into child care centers in Canada and elsewhere. The first chapter looks at the background of integration in early childhood child care programs in Canada and identifies concerns of parents. The second chapter explores the practice of labelling children with…

This study of integrated day care in the province of Alberta, Canada, involved observations and interviews at preschool sites in Calgary and Edmonton. The discussion resulting from the Calgary visits considers: combining funding from a provincial agency with the availability of hospital-sponsored mobile clinical services to support integration in…