Measures for integration of disabled children seek to make subsidized childcare services accessible to children, regardless of their reality and their special conditions, by pursuing three objectives:
- facilitate access for disabled children to childcare services and ensure their full participation so that they can receive the childcare services they need while being better integrated into the community.
- help the childcare providers in the exercise of their responsibility to integrate disabled children while maintaining a quality service for all;
- encourage parents' participation in integrating their child into the living environment.
The integration of disabled children into the subsidized childcare environment particularly concerns children:
- living with a condition causing a significant and persistent disability;
- encountering barriers in the process of integration into a childcare service.
The Ministère has provided for various forms of financial support, including the
allowance for integration of a disabled child, to promote the social participation of disabled children and encourage childcare providers to accommodate them.
In addition, subsidized childcare providers have access to an allowance for a disabled child eligible for the
transitional measure (in French). That measure allows the parent of a disabled child who is 5 years of age as of September 30 of the reference year and who is exempted from attending kindergarten on recommendation of a professional recognized by the Ministère, to be eligible for the payment of the basic contribution for a period of 12 months as of September 1 of the reference year.
In addition, the
Exceptional Assistance Measure (EAM) for the integration of disabled children with major needs (in French) is granted to subsidized childcare providers to allow them to provide additional assistance to children with major needs.
Lastly, in order to promote the reciprocal accessibility and continuity of the services offered by integrated health and social services centres (CISSS) and integrated university health and social services centres (CIUSSS), childcare centres and day care centres can sign a
memorandum of understanding (in French) to reserve spaces to accommodate children referred by CISSS/CIUSSS. In return, childcare providers receive services from CISSS/CIUSSS. Since June 1, 2006, the ministère de la Famille has imposed a moratorium on memoranda of understanding between CISSS/CIUSSS and home childcare coordinating offices (COs). However, spaces that were reserved in home childcare facilities under memoranda of understanding prior to the introduction of COs can be kept.
Parents and the childcare provider have a pivotal role to play in the success of an integration process. In that regard, the support and involvement of the various interveners and specialized external resources appear to be the best guarantee of success.
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