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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I have found over the years the more special needs a child is the less you are going to be offered. I'm not sure where you are but I have a special needs background and find that those job don't normally pay anymore. Sadly it's less with waiver programs and parents want to toss in their other kids. [/quote]

OP here,

Having been the working parent of a child with special needs, and having had the privilege of getting to know and work with many families of children with special needs over the years, I have to offer a different perspective on this.

The price of childcare depends on two different factors.  One is what the service is "worth".  There's no doubt that caring for a medically complex child, or working with a child with significant physical or developmental issues and doing the job well, requires more energy and expertise and creativity than providing care for a similarly aged child without special needs.  From that perspective, it is reasonable to think that this position should pay more.

On the other hand, the price of childcare also depends on what parents are able to pay.  Ordinarily, parents who seek out nannies have the resource to do so.  Parents with fewer resources choose less expensive options such as daycare centers, or home daycares.  When a family finds out that their child has special needs, their budget doesn't get bigger.  In fact, in most cases, families find that there are extra costs associated with raising a child with special needs.  I know I spent a lot of money in the first two years of my son's life on specialized formula, gas to travel to the Dr., copays, medical equipment etc . . . A family with a child who also needs therapy will spend even more.  In addition there is often lost income when parents need to take time off work to stay in the hospital with a child, attend Dr.'s appointments, or provide care at home.   The result of all of this is that even though a child with special needs may require the specialized care and individualized attention that comes with a nanny, the parents, through no fault of their own, may simply not be in a position to pay for it at market rate.  [/quote]

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