Inclusion Program Adapted Equipment Grant Information

The Child Care Inclusion Program provides support to families and child care facilities to include children with diverse needs in licensed child care programs by assisting with the additional cost of adapted equipment required for children with diverse needs.

Equipment requests may only be made for specialized equipment required to implement the child's program and must be based on the child's needs.

Factors Determining Eligibility

Requests must be made in consultation with the parent/guardian(s), child care facility, referring professional(s) and Program Consultant. The Inclusion Program Adapted Equipment Request form may be completed at an Inclusion Program application or review meeting or at a later time as the need is identified.

Equipment shall be evaluated based on the following:

• Does the facility already have similar equipment?
• Can the child's program be carried out without this equipment or with alternate equipment already available?
• Is this equipment something a facility should already have for its regular program?

The facility may, but is not required to, be receiving other Inclusion funding for the child for whom the equipment is being requested.

Grant amounts

• The maximum amount of Adapted Equipment Grant funding available per child per year is $600, or $1,200 in exceptional circumstances.
• The amount requested by the facility must reflect actual cost of the equipment including shipping and taxes.

Accountability

• All purchases made with Adapted Equipment Grant funds must be approved by the parent, the referring professional and the Program Consultant.
• If for any reason the Adapted Equipment Grant is not spent on approved equipment, unused and misused funds will be required to be repaid.
• The facility is responsible for retaining all receipts for equipment purchased with grant funding as the Program Consultant may request to review them periodically.

Transferring equipment

When a child moves from one licensed child care facility to another, the new facility may request that equipment be transferred to the new facility to be available for the child. Requests are made to the Program Consultant. Approval to transfer equipment shall be based on the following:

• Is the equipment used solely with this child or is it shared with other children in the Inclusion Program?
• Was the equipment specifically designed for this child?
• Is the equipment portable?

Contact the Early Learning and Child Care regional office nearest you for more information about the Inclusion Program and the Adapted Equipment Grant.