Special Needs Resource Directory

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Caregiver Resources

Child Care

ChildCareAware™ provides a guide to choosing quality child care for a child with special needs.

General Information / Help

When you have a child with special needs, it is important to have information at your fingertips. There are several resources that can help you keep track of everything and result in improved, more efficient care and reduce family stress:

Parent Notebook, developed by the Center for Infants and Children with Special Needs at Cincinnati Children's, can help you organize important health care and support information.
American Academy of Pediatrics provides samples of different types of caregiver notebooks.

Other resources are available for information and support:

Parent-Infant Nurturing Group Program (PING) is an early intervention program of the Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics at Cincinnati Children's. The program serves infants and toddlers ages birth through two years who are developmentally delayed or at risk for delay and their families. PING is supported by the Hamilton County Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (MRDD).
Caregiver Assistance Network provides information, support groups and resources for caregivers of the ill and disabled.
CarePages allows you to create and update a free, private and personalized web page to share health care news with friends and family, and receive messages of support.
CaringBridge lets families of children with special needs create a free, personalized web site to keep others informed and updated during challenging times.
ChildPage is an online parenting resource with special section on children with special needs.
Family Caregiver Alliance is a repository of facts and resource information.
Fathers Network provides current information and resources to assist all families and care providers involved in the lives of children with special needs.
International Center for Disability Resources on the Internet provides a Caregiver Resource Page with information to help caregivers all over the world.
MUMS National Parent-to-Parent Network helps parents who have a child with any disorder, medical condition, mental or emotional disorder or rare diagnosis make connections with other parents whose children have the same or similar condition.
National Alliance for Caregiving presents reviews of caregiving web sites, videos, newsletters and more.
National Center of Medical Home Initiatives for Children with Special Needs offers information and tools for caregivers and families, including how to build a Caregiver Notebook, school forms and resources, and internet tips.
National Family Caregiver Support Program has a caregiver tip sheet.
National Family Caregivers Association provides tips on caregiver self-advocacy and improving the doctor / caregiver communication and relationship.
Ohio's Family Support Collaborative provides information about supports and services for Ohio families who have children with disabilities.
OurKids.org is a "family" of parents, caregivers and others who are working with children with physical and / or mental disabilities and delays.
Parents Helping Parents helps children with special needs receive the resources, love, hope, respect, health care, education, and other services they need to reach their full potential by providing them with strong families, dedicated professionals, and responsive systems to serve them.
Santa Maria Community Services empowers residents of the communities they serve, through knowledge and encouragement, to embrace their ability to change the conditions that limit their opportunities.
Special Child is an online publication dedicated to parents of children with special needs. It offers articles about dealing with stress, success stories and much more.
Special Needs Family Fun provides family fun and special needs resources for families with disabilities.
Today's Caregiver is an online magazine that offers a discussion forum and a "Care Links" page with extensive list of other resource organizations.

Caregiving Youth

It is estimated that in the United States there are approximately 1.4 million children who are currently caregivers. This assistance may include personal care, medical care, household management, supervision, translation in medical settings and / or emotional support. This dual role of youth who are both students and young caregivers within their families can seriously affect their health, well being and education.

American Association of Caregiving Youth provides information to support children and adolescents 18 years of age or younger who provide significant or substantial assistance, often on a regular basis, to relatives or household members who need help because of physical or mental illness, disability, frailty associated with aging, substance misuse, or other condition.

Family and Medical Leave Act

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provides eligible employees with the legal right to an unpaid leave of absence for up to 12 weeks within a 12-month period in order to address family and medical responsibilities. The following web sites provide specific information about the law to aid families in the decision-making process about utilizing the FMLA.

Residential Supports

Ask the Right Questions is a guide to making decisions about residential supports for family members with disabilities.
Nursing Home Compare is a tool that provides detailed information about the past performance of every Medicare and Medicaid certified nursing home in the country.

In-Home Services

Children with special health care needs often require home care services, which can be costly to families. To help, here are some resources and information on applying for waivers:

Waiver programs are offered through the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) and the Ohio Department of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (ODMR/DD).

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services provides information on state waiver programs throughout the United States. This web site also offers information about Medicare and Medicaid throughout the United States.

For additional information on financial assistance programs, see Financial Assistance.