Childcare for special needs

[kiwibird27]

Okay - I'm in the situation where I have to return to work - not just for financial reasons but to finally get permanent residency. My baby is 5 1/2 months old and is fed via a tube down her nose 24/7. She is attached to a milk pump. Other than that she is "normal" If the tube comes out it doesn't hurt her and I would just come to where ever she is and put it back in. eventually she will have a gastrostomy. What do parents out there do for childcare - Am looking into family daycare - do they sucessfully take on these kids???

ANY IDEAS ANYONE???

[Lirael]

nope. none. I out DS into 'normal' daycare, they had no clue so I pulled him out. but Im lucky enough to be able to stay home with him.

[mummyof5]

I am fairly sure Family day care will take her on, as when my sister was looking at doing it, they told her that day carers apparently get extra for taking on special needs children, as they are supposed to have lees children in their care at the time, if that makes any sense. So the extra money is to help make up the difference.
So if it were me, I think I would go with family day care too.:fingerscrossed:

[cwsmum]

Childcare centres will take them, well good ones will, but unfortunaty there's no guarantees that the staff will have any idea how to care for your bub. I guess family daycare would be the same, but coz there's less kids they would have more time to make sure your bub gets everything she needs.

I'd be going with family daycare or finding a centre that has cared for bubs with needs like yours has before.

[Grizabella]

This site may help you: http://www.childlink.com.au/results2.asp?sp=1 it is off this main site http://www.childlink.com.au/search2.asp

I found it here:
http://www.community.nsw.gov.au/html/childcare_serv/childcare_contacts.htm

Hope this helps you :)

[nemosmum]

Hey:wave:

At my centre we have a little boy who is tube fed through his tummy and after some training the staff have had no trouble with his feeds.

Like someone else has said it depends on the centre.

Gd luck with it:fingerscrossed: :hugs:

[Lunar]

PLENTY of centres out my way do it!

You just need to do the hard work and really look around and check out all the centres and ask all the questions.... have any staff done it before, are they willing to learn etc etc.

Good luck with it, but there are plenty out there, you just need to look.:hugs:

[kiwibird27]

I got a job as director of a long daycare that will take baby as well - I can get a support worker for her too I think???!!! So she gets one on one 5 hours a day!!! Got really reduced fees too and a 4 day week!!!!

Thanks 4 everyones input!!

[Rhys'Mum]

How AWESOME!!!!! Really pleased for you.

Was going to say my girlfriend was able to teach the staff at the centre her son goes to and they have been great. He has a peg now and they have been fine with that too. Only problem she has is that they won't let him move to the toddler room until he is eating properly (different staffing issues I guess) and that is causing some problems because he is totally bored in the baby room and his friends have all moved on. The assistance ran out once he hit a certain age too I think.

All the best with it, enjoy your new job and hopefully your little one loves daycare as much as the little man does. (now back to work for me)

[kiwibird27]

it's great to hear a positive story - Thanks - Are you sure he can't get assistance ??? If a child's special needs interfers with staff ratio's then a support worker can be claimed for - It's done through commonwealth funding... Here is the application form (below), it's up to the centre to do so depending on the director he/she may need some encouragement to fill out the forms, then they come out and assess and if staff need an extra set of hands due to his needs they fund it!!! If he moved to the toddler room with feeding issues then he would still be supported with extra staff so he isn't disadvantaged in any way. It's up to the service to keep applying so tell her to push a little and it should happen!!!!!!!!

http://www.facs.gov.au/internet/facsinternet.nsf/vIA/snss/$file/application.pdf