Supported Child Care for Children with Special Needs
The goal of the Supported Child Care Program (SCC) is to ensure families of children with special needs have access to child care in their own communities regardless of the child's developmental needs.
Inclusive child care encourages the participation of children with special needs in their community child care program. Children with special needs are able to interact with their peer group and receive supports that will encourage successful early learning experiences.
Within a quality program, children develop confidence, creativity, coordination, problem-solving skills and healthy relationships with others by actively exploring their environment through play.
The Supported Child Care (SCC) program is a grant based program that provides funding to licensed full and part-day child care centres to create or sustain inclusive child care programs for children with special needs.
Both the application process and use of the SCC funding are the responsibility of the child care centre. The funding is not attached to a child or diagnosis and does not automatically move to a new centre if the child transfers from one centre to another. It is the responsibility of the child care centre to apply for, and use SCC funding in a manner that enables the provision for an inclusive child care program.
Eligibility
All full-day and part-day licensed child care centres are eligible to apply for Supported Child Care Grant (SCCG) funding. Licensed child care centres receiving funding must be in compliance with:
- The Day Care Act. R.S., N.S., 1989, c. 120, s.1 and Day Care Regulations (and Family Home Day Care program Regulations).
- The Supported Child Care Grant Terms and Conditions (PDF).
Next steps
To learn more about the Supported Child Care Program, please contact one of our Regional Offices to speak with an Early Childhood Development Consultant (ECDC) call 1-877-424-1177.