The Children’s Inclusive Care Council of Amador and Calaveras (CICC) was formed in late 2002 to develop a local plan of action to strengthen the capacity of the child care community to deliver appropriate, inclusive, high-quality child care services to families of children with disabilities or other special needs. The purpose of the Council is to “provide a collaborative framework that will promote and support parents and the child care network to provide inclusive services for children with special needs.”

The CICC is made up of representatives of the following agencies and organizations:

We know that every child is special, and some children need special care because of developmental, physical, health, emotional or behavioral problems. In order to meet the needs of the child, it is critical that parents and child care professionals create and maintain a partnership to help each other help the child reach his or her full potential.

If you are a parent, caregiver or provider in Amador County and you have concerns about a child, please explore the following resources:

Valley Mountain Regional Center (VMRC)
http://www.vmrc.net/
(209) 754-1871
A private non-profit corporation that contracts annually with the State of California to provide diagnostic, evaluation, case management, and prevention services to people with developmental disabilities. VMRC may purchase services for consumers, such as respite, out-of-home placement, infant development services, clinical and diagnostic services. VMRC serves the counties of Amador, Calaveras, San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Tuolumne.

Special Education Department, Amador County Office of Education
http://www.amadorcoe.org/index.html
(209) 257-5330
Children suspected of being disabled may receive assessment services in areas such as hearing, visual, language and learning disabilities from birth to 21 years of age. Educational services are available for children meeting eligibility standards.

Family Resource Network
http://www.frcn.org/
(209) 472-3674 or 800-847-3030
Helping families meet the challenge of raising children with special needs. Information & Referral, Family Support, Outreach, Advocacy, Workshops, Seminars, and Resources. Supporting families and professionals in Amador, Calaveras, San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Tuolumne counties.

Early Start
http://www.frcn.org/early.asp
Early Intervention Specialist  (209) 257-5330
Helps families to locate services for their infants and toddlers who are premature, have health problems or may be delayed in their development. This referral and evaluation service is free.

The Children’s Inclusive Care Council (CICC) of Amador and Calaveras has developed the following manual to assist you – whatever your role – find the help and resources you need for including children with special needs in a child care setting:
"All Children Are Special: How to Know When a Child Needs Help"
"Todos los Ninos son Especiales: Como Saber Cuando un Nino Necesita Ayuda"

If you have any questions regarding these resources, please don't hesitate to call First 5 Amador
at (209) 257-1092.