The Need for Care
Respite for the caregivers of special needs children is an unmet need in Harrisonburg, Rockingham County, and elsewhere in Virginia.
12.8% of children under the age of 18 have special health needs according to a survey by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau with the National Center for Health Statistics, 2000.
6.9% of Virginia’s children between the ages of 5 and 20 are living with one or more disabilities, which may include:
- autism
- deaf-blindness
- emotional disturbance
- mental retardation
- specific learning disability
- visual impairment including blindness
- deafness
- developmental delay
- hearing impairment
- orthopedic impairment
- speech and/or language impairment
- traumatic brain injury
– according to U.S. Census 2004
The demands of caring for a child with special needs can be overwhelming for families.
Families of children with special care needs have difficulty getting even a short break from the demands of caregiving.
