Inclusive Child Care
We believe that all children do well when they can. And all children require some extra support some of the time.
Inclusion is essential for all children, regardless of their abilities or needs. It ensures that every child feels valued, respected, and has equal opportunities to learn and grow. By creating inclusive environments, we foster a sense of belonging, understanding, and acceptance among children.
Some children, however, need extra support more frequently in order to participate in daycare programs.
While the support needs for young children with physical disabilities are often apparent at a very young age, not all disabilities are visible. For many families, it isn’t apparent that their children require extra support until their child begins attending a group daycare.
Once in a group daycare environment, it may become apparent that a child requires additional support, and might benefit from screening or assessment in order to diagnose neurodivergence or developmental delays.
SSOCC’s Inclusion Coordinator is here to help.
To address these challenges within our child care programs, SSOCC has secured funding through the BC Gaming Grant, for a permanent Inclusion Coordinator. This dedicated professional, who is an occupational therapist, works closely with families and classroom educators to:
- Regularly screen children using the ASQ and ASQ-SE to identify potential developmental delays or concerns.
- Refer children to appropriate specialists such as Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) or pediatricians for further assessment and diagnosis.
- Facilitate access to essential support services like Supported Child Care or PACE as quickly as possible.
- Create care plans to best support children with additional needs in the daycare setting
- Support educators in adapting classroom environments and programs to best support all children currently enrolled in the childcare program.
In B.C., the funding to provide inclusive support to young children is fractured and often difficult to access. SSOCC works to ensure that we advocate for families as fiercely as possible, so that every child can access the support they need to safely attend daycare. This may mean seeking funding from Supported Child Care (SCD), PACE, or other services that can fund a support worker in the classroom. Please note that despite our advocacy, SCD and PACE (and any other funding service) have their own criteria for funding support and often have lengthy waitlists to access funding.
For children requiring extra in-class support who have approved AFU funding and who do not yet receive / are unable to receive funding through Supported Child Care, our programs can bill the autism funding unit directly to cover the cost of a behavior interventionist to work with your child in our program.
Follow this link to view our Needs Support Policy.
