Promoting the Health and Safety of Children with Special Health Care Needs in Early Care and Education Settings: A Review of National Standards

Every day, approximately 11 million children under the age of 5 in the U.S. attend early care and education programs. An average of 36 hours per week is spent in these programs. It is important for children to be in healthy and safe environments with caregivers/teachers who understand and follow basic health and safety best practices, including those specific to children with special health care needs.   

Children with special health care needs encompass those who have or are at increased risk for a chronic physical, developmental, behavioral, or an emotional condition and who also require health and related services of a type or amount beyond that generally required by children. This includes children who have intermittent and continuous needs in all aspects of health, including physical, social, mental, and emotional. 

The AAP, the APHA, and the National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care and Early Education (NRC) recently produced Caring for Children with Special Health Care Needs, a sub-collection of Caring for Our Chil­dren: National Health and Safety Performance Standards; Guidelines for Early Care and Education Programs, 3rd Edition. These standards represent the best evidence and expertise in the country on quality health and safety practices and policies for today’s early care and education settings.