The Special Needs Inclusion Project
is a project of Support for Families
Our Vision
Children and youth with disabilities are safe and healthy, have a sense of belonging, and have a full range of opportunities to participate meaningfully in the community and reach their full potential. View the SNIP Strategic Plan here.
Our Goals
- Children and youth with disabilities are valued and supported participants in programs, services, and activities offered in San Francisco.
- Families are informed and educated about options relevant to the inclusion of their children in San Francisco programs.
- San Francisco providers are informed and educated in how to include and support children and youth with disabilities and their families.
- San Francisco programs fully include children and youth with disabilities
What We Do
SNIP helps San Francisco out-of-school time programs create environments that are welcoming and inclusive for ALL children, both with and without disabilities. SNIP does not diagnose children; rather we seek to support programs to ensure that all children are able to participate successfully. We accomplish this through on-site program observation and coaching, individual and group consultation, staff training and interagency collaboration.
How We Do It
On-site Program Observation and Coaching
SNIP provides program or child-specific observation and staff coaching that helps agencies better understand and serve all children, especially children with disabilities. We also offer continued support in making and implementing inclusive materials.
Individual and Group Consultation
SNIP works collaboratively with program staff to build inclusive practices as well as to connect families and staff with information and community resources that help children thrive. We also partner with the program to evaluate their policies and procedures to ensure that children with disabilities are able to access their services.
Staff Training
SNIP offers site-specific trainings that are tailored to the professional development needs of each program. These trainings provide specific tools and strategies to improve staff teaching skills and enable participants to use the training content in their daily programs.
Interagency Collaboration
SNIP intentionally builds strong relationships with program staff and other service providers at the site to foster collaboration, promote mutual learning and to maximize our collective impact on the program.
Why Inclusion?
Inclusion of children with special needs in after school learning and recreation programs means that they are not only present, but have a feeling of truly belonging. Research shows that inclusion can benefit all children– those with and those without disabilities –particularly with respect to social development. (National Professional Development Center on Inclusion). Ensuring that children with special needs can learn, play, and develop alongside their typically-developing peers requires more than just placing them in the same room. During the past three years, San Francisco’s Childcare Planning and Advisory Committee (CPAC) Inclusion Committee and First 5 San Francisco jointly convened an Inclusion Roundtable in order to assess the state of inclusive practices in the city. They determined that successful inclusive environments occur when providers (1) understand the importance and benefits of inclusion for all children; (2) are prepared to identify and remove barriers to inclusion; and (3) are able to use a range of tools and approaches to engage all children in learning and play activities. The research is also clear that while training helps to set the stage for inclusion, it is most effective when accompanied by individualized, practical technical assistance and coaching.
Who We Serve
San Francisco based out-of-school-time program serving children ages 6-13.