As a result of conducting an extensive research study on the child care and work challenges of parents of children with special needs, a university in Maine is developing an educational tool to be used to reach out to employers, educate them about these challenges and suggest workplace flexibility policies to meet the needs of these employees and their employers. The Catherine E. Cutler Institute for Child and Family Policy of the Edmund S. Muskie School of Public Service, University of Southern Maine, has been funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to develop an educational DVD that when completed, will be available as a packet with written materials for use by the full range of employers in Maine and around the country. The DVD will inform employers about the issues faced by these parents despite their desire and need to maintain stable employment, as well as the benefits to employers of addressing these challenges in the workplace.

The research conducted by the Cutler Institute underscored the need for this outreach effort. For reasons related to their child with special needs (e.g. medical and therapy appointments, lack of appropriate child care), more than half of the over 400 parents surveyed had to reduce their work hours, 30% had to quit their job, almost 30% had to turn down a job offer or promotion, and 5% were fired. Workplace flexibility was cited repeatedly by parents as a critical factor in enabling them to keep their jobs and still meet the special needs of their child. Despite the fact that families of children with special needs are served by multiple agencies, interviews with service providers revealed that the one key player who is rarely at the table when these issues are addressed, is the employer. Employers are losing the chance to retain trained, dedicated workers because no one thought to include them in the discussions.

The Cutler Institute was funded in August, 2007 to develop the DVD and educational packet for employers. A diverse advisory committee made up of representatives from private employers, the state Department of Labor, the Chamber of Commerce, and parents of children with special needs, held its first meeting in November. The purpose of the Advisory Committee is to ensure that the tool reflects the concerns and needs of both employers and employees. Cutler is currently recruiting families and employers to appear in the DVD and developing the script with the filmmakers. The completed tool will be available in the summer of 2008 on Cutler’s project website and Cutler staff will present it to business groups throughout the state. Once its success within Maine has been assessed, the intent is to use this tool as a key component of a comprehensive workplace flexibility training and technical assistance project to help employers and parents of children with special needs across the country who are struggling with these issues.