Childcare Resources
Parents of children with autism and other disabilities report difficulty in locating and maintaining child and after-school care for their children. Families seeking child care should be referred to:
The Special Needs Enhanced Counseling Service
LOCATE: Child Care
Maryland Committee for Children (MCC)
410-625-1113 (Baltimore Metro Area)
1-800-999-0120 (Outside the Baltimore Area)
410-485-1042 (TDD)
The Maryland Committee for Children (MCC) developed the LOCATE: Child Care Special
Needs Enhanced Counseling Service through a grant from the Maryland State Department of Education. Any parent in Maryland who has a child or children with disabilities, ages birth through 21 years of age, may access The Special Needs Enhanced Counseling Service. This service offers specialized one on one assistance and support to parents in need of child care. When a parent contacts LOCATE for child care information, the LOCATE counselor will:
- Discuss the parent’s child care preferences such as type of care, location, cost and other pertinent variables;
- Discuss the child’s disability and any services or accommodations needed;
- Explain the Americans with Disabilities Act as it applies to child care;
- Explain the type of child care available;
- Call providers or programs to identify child care vacancies for the family and to explain
the child’s special need to the provider; - Provide current information on early childhood education, what to look for in quality
child care and best child care practices; - Link the caller to other resources such as the state subsidy program, Purchase of Care, the Earned Income Tax Credit, and other programs and,
- Offer referrals to community resources such as respite, mental health facilities, financial
assistance, job development programs, parent support groups, and transportation.
Project ACT (All Children Together)
Abilities Network, Inc.
410-828-7700 (Baltimore)
1-800-492-2523 (Outside the Baltimore Area)
Fax: 410-828-7708
Project ACT works with childcare providers and early childhood professionals to educate them in the skills essential to caring for children with diverse needs in inclusive community settings. Project ACT services may include:
- On-site observation and consultation
- Informal assessment and referral to appropriate resources
- Individual, on-site support short term and long term) in the childcare setting
- Access to individualized adaptive materials
- Liaison services between the childcare provider, families, and school systems
- Training individualized to a specific child offered on-site to providers
