A model for training community-based providers for children with special health care needs

Children with special health care needs pose many challenges for community-based providers. Programs such as school, child care, and Head Start provide services to children that previously would have been delivered in hospitals or at home. The need for a system of care to assure safe, quality services for these children is paramount. While health procedure manuals for schools have been developed, few recommendations address the actual training of providers or the trainers of providers. This article describes a system of training which includes steps in managing the care of children with special health care needs, levels of training, and expected competencies for the care providers of children with special health care needs.