ChildCare For 12+ Years Old

Try the website care.com. You can look specifically for special needs caregivers in your area.

Maybe look for a nanny at a local college - someone who is majoring in special education.

have you checked into agencies that work one on one with disabled or people with special needs?

I use to work with an agency that did respite care for adults and children in their home when their care giver/ parents couldn't be home.

I have also seen ad's in our local newspaper looking for someone to care for their child with special needs. You could also try that. You can ask for references and get their social security number ( it would be just like any other job) and do a back ground check if you need to. There is sites out there that you can do free back ground checks on anyone.

Find out if there is a school nearby with a special education department. Sometimes there are teachers or assistants who want a little extra cash.
They call our school and do that.

I run a daycare and they all say up to age 12 because that is what age we legally have to count them...that does not mean someone WON'T take a 12+ yr old...best bet is to call around and find out. If someone has room and the capability of taking a special needs, they may be happy to fill that spot.

I have one who is turning 12 in Dec and Dad has already inquired about keeping him here at least through the end of the school year. So...it's all up to the providers...call and ask! Best of luck...I hope you find something that works for you!

try contacting NACCRRA (national association of child care resource and referral agencies). Google them and they will have a representative in your area. They help you (usually at no cost) programs to support child care of all ages and you can request specific types of care - for example, special needs.
Best of luck!

When I worked in child care, special needs children were the exception to the rule. We had a student who was allowed to attend until he was 16, since he was so small for his stature and was on about an 8 year old level.

Are they disabled? If so, they may qualify for care thru your state. My step dtr is moderately retarded and qualifies for hours that cover her full time in the summer for care while we are at work. Otherwise, there are "agencies" that provide people but there is a charge for them. Good luck.

I have over 13 years in developmental disabilities and I can say that there are exceptions to that rule. You need to call the local Y and talk to the director of their child care program. They can have the kids come when they feel they can help them.

There should also be some support groups in your area, sheltered workshops, group home businesses, etc...these places may have suggestions of what to do. We used to have a school at one of the places I worked at. One of them had a summer program for the kids after they got out of summer school.

I would suggest you talk to the special needs teacher and find out if your child can do half day school all summer. That will help with the child care costs and help her to grow academically too. I did this with a boy and then we went to the Y and joined their summer camp program for the rest of the day.

If your state offers services in home for people with DD I would sign up for that. Getting on the waiting list is easy but the wait can be years. These people come to your home and work on goals and things that a team decides they want the child to work on.

One girl I worked with had no spacial ability. She could get lost in a public bathroom. I would take her to Walmart and we would work on her finding the front door from various locations in the store, I would point out things on the walls, signs over the doors, light shining in, etc...so she could start processing the data and then it would start processing and she eventually could find her way to toys, fabrics, and the dairy. Think hanging bikes from the ceiling, baby blankets on the wall above the fabrics area, and there were pictures of cows on the wall above the dairy section. She could not find the front door but she could find a staff person and ask for help at the cutting table or either of the other areas. I taught her to do her own laundry, cook easy meals like microwave popcorn and things that cook in the same dish like individual ravioli or dinty moore beef stew. Things that show a number and then you cook them in the container they come in. She was 15 and I worked with her 2 days per week, about 10 hours each week until she was almost 18. I worked with her on cleaning her room, dusting the house, doing dishes, etc...things a normal kid her age would be doing.

Another boy we worked on him getting his cub scout patches and went to the library 2 times per week. I had him at the Y program every m-f all summer too though. We worked together every day on his goals of handling his anger issues and his speech too. I took him to lots of outside activities, his foster parents were older and they didn't want to do a lot of these things but she was a retired special ed teacher and he was retired. They loved him and were very glad he could do these things with me.