What does the ADA mean for a child care center or family day care home?
The ADA affords children with mental or physical disabilities the opportunity to participate in all activities and opportunities of community life. Part of community life is the opportunity to benefit from being in a child care setting. Children can no longer be excluded from a child care setting on the basis of a disability. Are there benefits to including children with disabilities in a child care center or family day home? Yes. All children benefit when children with and without disabilities are served in the same child care centers. Children with disabilities learn important personal and social skills that they might not otherwise learn in segregated settings (Biklen, Corrigan & Quick, 1989). Children who do not have disabilities benefit by demonstrating improved self-concept, growth in social cognition, increased tolerance of others and decreased fear of human differences (Peck, Donaldson & Pezzoli, 1990). The parents of the child with a disability also benefit from integrated chi
