2015 Accomplishments
Childcare for Kids with Special Needs
Families have long struggled to find quality childcare for children with special needs. Every child and family has the right to feel they belong, build strong relationships, and reach their full potential. CCL teamed with the Texas Workforce Commission and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service to:
- Develop online training for childcare providers.
- Create technical assistance documents for both providers and parents.
- Deliver instructor-led training on inclusive childcare for infants and toddlers with special needs.
Childcare providers took 34,822 online training courses and 1,721 providers took classroom training to learn about ways to care for children with special needs. Eighty-one percent of those who took the training said that they planned to make changes in their daycare. The training empowers childcare providers to design routines, activities, materials, and the childcare environment to help each child engage, succeed, and grow in his or her areas of need. These best practices benefit all children, not just children with disabilities.
Making Children in State Care Safer
We strengthened licensing standards to reduce risks to children in state care. The new minimum standards:
- Improve screening, approving, and monitoring of new foster homes, including visits to new and existing foster homes.
- Improve care for children with serious medical needs who rely on foster parents for daily living activities.
- Require each child's care address the trauma they have suffered and considers the unique culture, experiences, and beliefs of the child.
In 2015, we also enhanced services to children who are victims of human trafficking. They get comprehensive residential care from people who are trained and equipped to deal with their unique situations and needs.