Care of disabled children
Childminders and nannies are ideally placed to care for
disabled children because of their flexibility and home
setting.
Parents often choose childminding for their disabled children
because:
- childminders care for small groups of children, so they are
able to offer individual care, taking into account the particular
requirements of a specific child, and work in close partnership
with parents
- childminding is flexible in the hours offered
- siblings can be cared for together
- childminders are often available close to the family’s
home
- a nanny can live in the family home.
Some childminders feel nervous about agreeing to care for
disabled children. They feel they will need a lot of expert
knowledge about various impairments and conditions. In fact, this
sort of knowledge isn’t as important as their existing expertise in
offering good quality provision for children. It is their
understanding of children’s development and how to provide for them
which will enable childminders and nannies to include disabled
children in their setting.
Real life experiences
Denise Evans and Janet Pentony are childminders in Cardiff who
care for disabled children. Read about their experiences by
following the link on the right.