While studies show that caring for a disabled child has huge implications for the family budget, finding appropriate childcare when your child has additional needs can be a nightmare. Although some parents of disabled children make the choice to care for their child at home, for the majority work is a necessity often denied them because of the lack of appropriate childcare. In addition to the isolation that such parents may experience, there is poverty and deskilling through prolonged exclusion from the labour market.
Some childminders may feel anxious about caring for a disabled child and worry that they have no experience or might have to make unwanted adaptations to their home. In fact, most childminders who take the plunge find it immensely rewarding and say that although they may have to master new skills and overcome occasional challenges, it is not really different from caring for any other child. Although they felt at first that they might need a lot of expert knowledge about various impairments and conditions, they soon realised that this sort of knowledge wasn't as important as their knowledge of child development and existing expertise in offering quality provision for all children.
As a childminder, your house should be respected as a family home and you should not be expected to make a huge financial outlay on equipment or make unwanted major alterations. However, if you are choosing to care for a disabled child you might need to think about manageable and inexpensive adjustments that you could make to the home environment.
Childminders often worry about how caring for a child with additional needs will affect their ratio. Although this depends on the extent and nature of the disability it should also be a concern for your local authority.
If you are thinking about caring for a disabled child, gather information about what local support and advice, including financial help, might be on offer. Seek out sources of ideas and information that might help you care for a particular child and attend any training available. You could enhance your practice and provide a vital lifeline to a family with a disabled child.
- Mary Dickins is an early years consultant (All Together Consultancy and London Metropolitan University)
FURTHER INFORMATION
National Childminding Association, www.ncma.org.uk
