Special Needs Services

To assist families who have children with special needs (and who might have difficulty gaining access to child care), 4C offers a variety of services. According to statistics, approximately 5% of the children in Santa Clara County have special needs.

The ADA (Americans With Disabilities Act) defines a special needs child as one whose physical or mental impairment substantially limits that child, to a degree that is age appropriate, from caring for her/himself, from performing manual tasks, or from any other "major life activity" such as walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing or learning.

Special needs can often include:

• Developmental delays
• Sensory impairment
• Physical abnormalities
• Behavioral Challenges
• Autism

4C Council Special Needs Services

• Consultation to help parents find child care services
• Ongoing seminars and materials to train family day care providers to deal with special needs
• A database of integrated options to child care services
• Public awareness activities designed to inform the community about the integrated options and requirements regarding the Americans With Disabilities Act legislation.

Resources for Parents of Children who have Special Needs

• Cerebral Palsy Source
  Cerebral Palsy Source is brought to you as part of an ongoing joint effort between eJustice and Litigators Incorporated to educate people about cerebral palsy and help families affected by the condition. Our goal is to make the lives of those families easier. We understand that caring for a child with Cerebral Palsy is extremely challenging. Parents naturally have many questions about their child's cerebral palsy. Cerebral Palsy Source aims to provide information that answers these questions.
  
  
• Learn the Signs. Act Early.
  Visit the "Learn the Signs. Act Early." website for information about childhood developmental milestones and delays. You'll be able to track the developmental milestones your child should be reaching, see how milestones change as your child grows, and download fact sheets on developmental milestones for children from 3 months to 5 years, along with information on developmental screening and developmental disabilities.
  
  
• Parents Helping Parents - Santa Clara County
  Parents Helping Parents (PHP) provides lifetime guidance, supports and services to families of children with any special need and the professionals who serve them.
  
  
• Housing & Mortgages for People with Disabilities
  This guide has been created to help individuals living with disabilities, and their family members, in the process of buying a home of their own. Here you can learn more about the five important steps in buying a home and about financial assistance programs that are available for you living with disabilities, who want to buy a home.