National Child Care Information Center. (1997). Passages to Inclusion: Creating Systems of Care for All Children. Washington, DC: Department of Health and Human Services.

Historically, people with disabilities have faced discrimination. Children with disabilities have been denied access to public school programs, recreation programs, and child care settings. Passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990 sent a clear message to the American people that children and adults with disabilities are entitled to the same rights and privileges that others enjoy. This means that children with disabilities are legally entitled to equal access to community-based child care settings. However, a legal mandate by itself is not sufficient to make available realistic and responsive child care options for children with disabilities. Although the picture is improving, families continue to have difficulty finding inclusive child care programs for their children.

State, Territorial, and Tribal Child Care Administrators, in partnership with families and the child care community, have an opportunity to take a leadership role in establishing inclusive systems of care that improve quality, access, and affordability for all children. Indeed, this mandate to provide quality care for all children offers an opportunity to examine existing systems and practices and to make changes that will benefit every child and family. A review of current systems might begin with a consideration of the following issues, which emerged repeatedly during the Leadership Forum:

• Family-centered systems and services: Programs and services are respectful and supportive of young children and their families. Parents are critical partners in the planning for the care of the children and are important participants in the development of State, Territorial, Tribal, local, and regional systems of inclusive, quality child care.



• Inclusion philosophy: All child care policies and practices should reflect the values and goals of quality care in inclusive settings. Policies should include a clear statement of the, reasons for and commitment to inclusion. Child Care Administrators can lead the way by demonstrating through their attitudes and actions that inclusive child care is a priority.



• Training and technical assistance: Providers need a technical assistance system that will provide telephone, electronic, and on-site support. There should be easy access to training materials and resources. Training should address developmentally appropriate practices for all children as well as specific information about disabilities.



• Interagency collaboration: The only way to assure quality inclusive services is to pool resources and bring together agencies that serve young children and their families. Child Care Administrators will need to build strong linkages with public and private agencies serving children with disabilities. Child care should be viewed as one piece of a comprehensive service system for children with disabilities and their families.



• Resources: Child Care Administrators will have to think creatively as they work with community and state partners to identify all of the resources available to support inclusive child care. While resource constraints are always a reality, there are many opportunities for mobilizing and linking resources.



• Funding: The shortage of funds to support efforts to build inclusive systems of care for all children is a critical concern, as are barriers to pooling existing funds in creative ways. Child Care Administrators need to first identify available sources of funds and then work to develop interagency agreements that will allow dollars from multiple funding streams to be utilized.