History of Child Care plus+

Child Care plus+ is a federally-funded project (US Dept of Education, Early Education Programs for Children with Disabilities) at the University of Montana Rural Institute: Center for Excellence in Disability Education, Research, and Services. When the project originated in 1987, it was called the Educational Home Model (EHM) Project and provided support and resources for the inclusion of young children with disabilities in six early childhood programs in Missoula, Montana. In 1990, project activities expanded into outreach, and 35 replication sites were recruited from early childhood programs nationally. A quarterly newsletter was created by project staff and named Child Care plus+. Interest in project activities, training, and project materials grew tremendously. Project staff published the book Integrated Child Care: Meeting the Challenge (Communication Skill Builders, 1992) and the booklet A Great Place to Be Me; Selecting a Child Care Program When Your Child Has a Disability (University of Montana, 1994) along with many other materials.

In 1994, the newsletter's name--Child Care plus+--was adopted to identify the whole project.  In 2000, the project applied to become an internal center within the University of Montana Rural Institute.   We are now Child Care plus+: The Center on Inclusion in Early Childhood. As interest in inclusion in early childhood settings grows, CC+ staff are participating in activities and developing new materials to support educators who are practicing inclusion every day and building a new generation of diversity.

CC+ staff conduct training sessions and interactive workshops across the country that carefully combine new skills with familiar information to increase both the confidence and competence of participants. Whether in northern Alaska or the deep South, these presentations are designed to be relevant and provide practical information that directly relates to participants' needs.

CC+ staff have produced numerous articles, handouts, and booklets. In addition to those mentioned previously, the following recent publications are representative of their extensive work:

+ Child Care plus+ Curriculum on Inclusion: Practical Strategies for Early Childhood Programs

+ Child Care plus+ Curriculum on Inclusion:  Facilitator's Guide

+ Mealtime - From Chaos to Calm (Child Care Information Exchange, Jan/Feb 1998).

+ Enjoying Family-Style Meals in Child Care (Child Care Information Exchange, May/June 1997).

+ Child Care plus+ Inclusion Curriculum: Foundations and Implementation (The University of Montana, 1997).

+ Creating an Environment That Supports the Developing Social Skills of All Children (Child Care Information Exchange, Sept/Oct 1995).

+ Supporting the Breastfeeding Relationship During Child Care: Why Is It Important (Young Children, Jan 1995).