Statewide needs assessment of licensed child care providers and children with special needs

The purpose of this evaluation was to assess the needs of licensed child care providers (LCCP) in Nebraska related to care for special needs children 0-8 years using reliable and valid methods. The primary goal was to improve quality child care for this population. Quality child care can provide the opportunity for children with special health care needs to achieve optimal development and be better prepared to enter public school. However there are challenges for LCCP in providing care for the population in both rural and urban communities A 27 item survey, developed using literature review findings and validation of survey items by child care provider experts in Nebraska, was mailed to a geographically stratified sample of LCCP (n=1971) The survey examined the extent that LCCP serve children with special health care needs, barriers experienced in providing such care, and identified resource availability. A total of 682 rural (n=478) and urban (n=204) surveys were returned for a 35% response rate. Results showed that 72% of Nebraska LCCPs provided child care to children with special needs. The top three special needs identified by rural and urban providers were learning, behavioral and respiratory problems The most frequent barriers encountered were inadequate training and fear of inability to meet children's needs. The top resource identified was adequate financial assistance. These results will contribute to developing targeted trainings for LCCP, provide a foundation for policy development, and contribute to quality improvement for child care provision for children with special needs.