To locate Health Care Services in your community, click here to search the Pathfinder database. On the database search page, select your county and "Health Care Services" then click on "Search."

Tips for Parents of Children with Special Health Care Needs

"Children with special health care needs are those who have or are at increased risk for a chronic physical, developmental, behavioral, or emotional condition and who also require health and related services of a type or amount beyond that required by children generally" (Definition developed by Maternal and Child Health Bureau, 1998).

The American Academy of Pediatrics has a website dedicated to Emergency Preparedness for Children with Special Health Care Needs. The site includes an Emergency Information Form to help parents describe their children's unique medical history and health management requirements. They also have a website that provides a list of resources in order to build your own Care Notebook.

Children with Special Health Care Needs, from the Boling Center for Developmental Disabilities

Family Voices is a national grassroots clearinghouse for information and education about ways to assure and improve health care for children with disabilities and chronic conditions. Family Voices offers a "Voices" newsletter, a "Friday's Child" fax or e-mail weekly updates, frequent one-page papers on important topics, meetings and conferences, and more. From the Family Voices web site you can access information and publications about Caring For Children With Special Health Care Needs.

National Lekotek Center
Ratings and reviews of toys for children with disabilities. Information on toys and play, including tips for choosing toys. Lekotek's Toy Resource Helpline provides play and toy specialists to answer questions on toys and play for children with disabilities.

The Sibling Support Project is a national program dedicated to the interests of brothers and sisters of people with special health and developmental needs. The Project's primary goal is to increase the availability of peer support and education opportunities for brothers and sisters of people with special health and developmental needs

SibKids (for younger brothers and sisters) and SibNet (for older siblings) are the Internet's only listservs for and about brothers and sisters of people with special health, developmental, and emotional needs. This project allows brothers and sisters an opportunity to connect with their peers from around the world. The Sibling Support Project is program of the Arc of the United States.

Toys "R" Us Toy Guide for Differently-Abled Kids
The National Lekotek Center evaluates the toys chosen for possible inclusion for the Guide for those with exceptional qualities and, for those ultimately selected for inclusion, writes the copy for the Guide. Currently in its 11th year of publication, the Guide is available free at Toys "R" Us stores nationwide.