Child Care Assistance

Technical Assistance Program (TAP)

For over 25 years, the Achievement Centers' Technical Assistance Program (TAP) has helped families advocate for their children, access appropriate community services and train caregivers to ensure that children with special needs are successfully integrated into the classroom.

TAP staff educates childcare providers about how to care for children with special needs. Follow up support guides providers through any challenges or concerns they may face.

To ease the child's transition into the childcare setting, TAP staff also educates other children in the childcare setting about the child's disability and about how children with disabilities are more like others than they are different.

How TAP Helps

TAP resource teachers are highly educated and trained in all aspects of childcare, child development and different types of disabilities.

We help families:

• Identify childcare services and school-age programs for their child with a disability
• Advocate for their child and access appropriate services
• Gain peace of mind that their child is appropriately cared for

We help childcare providers:

• Receive the training, on-site consultation and follow up assistance they need to incorporate a child with a disability into their program
• Develop and help coordinate individual care plans in consultation with the child's network of physicians and therapists
• Access adaptive toy and equipment loans
• Offer community workshops about the inclusion of children with special needs into childcare settings

Our Technical Assistance Program (TAP) Coordinator and Resource Teachers bring many years of experience as early childhood educators and child care center directors to their work at the Achievement Centers for Children. Our administrative support staff thoroughly understands the daily operations of TAP and helps it run smoothly.

Families often comment that the TAP program made it possible for their child with special needs to happily and successfully integrate into a child care setting. Child care providers know that the TAP Resource Teachers will provide the on-site consultation and support needed to embrace children with special needs into their classrooms.

For more information about TAP, please contact Sandy McCann, TAP Coordinator, at (216) 292-9700 ext.272 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Click here to download the latest Technical Assistance Program brochure.