Finding quality childcare is a challenging task for all parents who work outside of the home. A basic goal for all parents who have a child with a disability is to find a childcare setting in which their child is happy, secure, and with other kids who share interests and experiences. Inclusion, as a value, supports the right of all children, regardless of their diverse abilities, to participate actively in natural settings within their communities. A natural setting is one in which the child would spend time if she or he was not identified as having a disability.


Maryland Resources

Maryland Committee for Children
The Maryland Committee for Children offers information regarding advocacy, childcare, and training. They also offer a statewide computerized childcare resource and counseling system. This system is a free service that provides referrals, not recommendations, to help parents identify and choose childcare best suited for their needs, preferences, and ability to pay. For families with limited income, they also offer the Purchase of Care (POC) child care subsidy.

Maryland State Department of Education Office of Child Care

PACT: Helping Children with Special Needs, Inc.
PACT: Helping Children with Special Needs serves young children with medical and developmental challenges who need the assistance of skilled, experienced professionals during their most formative years in order to reach their full potential.

Project All Children Together (Project ACT, a project of Abilities Network, Inc.)
Project ACT is dedicated to facilitating inclusive childcare for children with special needs throughout the state of Maryland.

Learning Works for Child Care Providers
Maryland Public Television supports child care providers through innovative educational services and quality television programming.


National Resources

The National Childcare Information Center
The National Child Care Information Center (NCCIC), a project of the Child Care Bureau, Administration for Children and Families (ACF), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is a national resource that links information and people to complement, enhance, and promote the child care delivery system, working to ensure that all children and families have access to high-quality comprehensive services.

Growing Ideas - Let Grow Together: Inclusive Early Childhood Education Selected Resources
A list of books, videos, and other resources.