Special Needs Programs
The Child Care Funds are dedicated to supporting children with documented special needs. In our commitment to assisting families in securing special needs benefits, we have enhanced our system processes to better address the needs of our members.
Programs Offering Special Needs Accommodations
Special Needs Day Care/After School Reimbursement
Special Needs Summer Day Camp
Anne Shore Sleep-Away Camp Program
Required Documents Specific to Special Needs Approval of Non-sleep-away Programs
Changes Effective 8/2023
- Doctor’s Note indicating special needs and limitations. Please have providers complete this form. It should be dated within one year of the submission deadline and must be stamped by the doctor’s office for authenticity.
- Any member using an unlicensed child care provider must submit the Special Needs Provider Verification form in addition to the Doctor’s Note.
Special Needs Eligibility Criteria for Non-sleep-away Programs
| Disability Category | Description |
|---|---|
| Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) | This category includes individuals with developmental disabilities that affect social interaction, communication, and behavior. |
| Deafness | Deaf-blindness | This category includes individuals with significant hearing impairments, whether profound or partial, and concomitant visual impairments. This combination of impairments leads to severe communication, developmental and educational needs that cannot be met in special education programs designed for children with only deafness or blindness. |
| Emotional disturbance | This category includes individuals who exhibit significant difficulties in social and emotional development, leading to their inability to learn effectively. |
| Intellectual disability | Individuals with significantly below-average intellectual functioning and adaptive behavior limitations fall under this category. |
| Multiple disabilities | Individuals with multiple disabilities that impair their educational performance and require special education and related services fall under this category. |
| Orthopedic impairment | This category includes individuals with impairments related to bones, muscles, or other body systems that affect their educational performance. |
| Other health impairment | This category encompasses individuals with health conditions (e.g., asthma, severe ADHD) that result in limited strength, vitality, or alertness, affecting their educational performance. |
| Specific learning disability | Individuals with specific learning difficulties, such as dyslexia or dyscalculia, that significantly impact their educational performance fall under this category. |
| Speech or language impairment | This category includes individuals with communication disorders that affect their ability to understand or use language, as well as individuals who have articulation disorder. |
| Traumatic brain injury (TBI) | Individuals with acquired brain injuries caused by an external force resulting in impairments in cognition, language, memory, or other areas fall under this category. |
| Visual impairment | Individuals with significant vision impairments, even with correction, fall under this category. |
Sleep-Away Camp Program Options
The Anne Shore Sleep-Away Camp Program contracts with Ramapo for Children, a specialized residential camp for children with developmental and/or behavioral special needs. Ramapo for Children is independently owned and operated and is accredited by the American Camp Association. The camp’s traditional programming fosters the development of positive social/learning skills, builds healthy relationships and increases self-esteem. Ramapo for Children has a one-to-one staff-to-child ratio with counselors who are emerging professionals in the fields of special education, social work and psychology.
Anne Shore’s Independent Camp Program allows members to choose their own special needs sleep-away camp provider, one that meets their child’s specific needs and offers a reimbursement of up to $2,500 per approved child.
For more information, contact [email protected] or call (212) 564-2220.