Child care is a tough for any mom to find, but the task is becoming particularly frustrating for one mom who says numerous day care centers have turned away her 2-year-old because he has cerebral palsy.
Mary Ellen Pollard recently learned that her son James could no longer attend the church day care he had been going to. But when Pollard approached a series of licensed day care centers in the Huntsville, Ala. area, who are required to service children with special needs under the Americans with Disabilities Act, she was turned away as well.
Pollard says James is much like any other child, but is not yet able to walk.
“They said, ‘no, we don’t take special needs children,’” Pollard told WAFF, the Huntsville NBC affiliate. “Just flat out, even though that’s against the ADA.”
Just a heads up, there are loopholes in the ADA language when it comes to child care. If the accomodations made for a child with a disability substantially change the program or the cost is prohibitive, then child care centers do not have to take a child. (I’m paraphrasing but that’s the gist of it.) Contact Easter Seals for information on how to encourage child care centers to include children with disabilities. Easter Seals also has inclusive child care centers in some cities. You may even think about opening your own center – there may be funding from local social service agencies for an inclusive center. And it’s time to lobby federal and state legislatures that all child care providers – every teacher and aide – needs to be in-depth trained in special education, not as an elective, but as a requirement for any degree program, credentialing program, or licensing program. Changing the language of ADA re child care centers is needed, too. You could also try contacting the Department of Justice re the collective failure of every child care center that failed to enroll your child.
Also, contact your local public school for services, if you haven’t already. James is entitled to early intervention services.