Whether you are new to parenting a child who has special needs or you have done so for years, you can provide the additional care required by a child who is mentally, physically, or medically challenged. Above all else, he or she wants and needs to be viewed and accepted as a child with his or her own unique set of strengths and needs.

Welcoming a special needs child into your home requires specific considerations, including your family’s ability to:

• Wholeheartedly accept and open your home to a special needs child 
• Understand and accommodate for the medical and/or other special needs required for the child, including lifestyle and/or scheduling adjustments 
• Advocate on behalf of the child 
• Share accurate, pertinent information regarding the child’s medical and behavioral needs with your case manager, health professionals, his or her birth family, educational staff, and others, as needed 
• Understand and follow through on established plans and requirements for meeting the child’s daily needs 
• Understand the child’s medical and/or emotional conditions and treatment needs, and how these factors will impact his or her growth and development 
• Maintain a home environment that accommodates the child’s special needs, including continuous supervision by a qualified adult, necessary physical space, equipment needs, wheelchair accessibility, etc. 
• Be comfortable, yet realistic, about the child’s strengths and needs; the ability to build on his or her strengths and nurture his or her needs; and the ability to bring as much normalcy to the child’s life as possible 
• Develop and maintain a positive working relationship with a variety of community professionals who will be working closely with you in assessing and providing for the medical and educational needs of the child 
• Be willing to seek out and participate in support groups as needed 
• Support the child in understanding and accepting his or her disability

It is important that the foster family is within reasonable proximity to medical and other needed resources and maintains reliable telephone service at all times.

When asked to care for a child who is mentally or physically challenged, find out as much as possible about the unique needs of the child and the resources that are available to you for support. Have an honest discussion with your case manager regarding the agency’s expectations of you while the child is in your care. Share all that you have learned with your family so that you can make this important decision together.

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