Early care and education professionals should have an Asthma Action Plan for any child or staff member who has asthma. The Asthma Action Plan provides instruction from the health professional about what to do if the child has an asthma episode. The Asthma Action Plan explains the specific care the child or staff member may need. The form identifies known triggers, what medications to use, when and how to use them, and when to contact the health care provider or go to the hospital. Everyone who cares for a child with asthma or works with adults with asthma should follow the individual’s Asthma Action Plan. Reviewed and reaffirmed 6/2018.

"Asthma is the most common chronic childhood disease. Children with asthma have sensitive airways. They are bothered by many things that start (or “trigger”) their symptoms and make their asthma worse. The most common asthma triggers are allergies to dust mites, cockroaches, animal dander, mold, and pollens, and exposure to irritating smoke, smells, or very cold air. Children's asthma can also be triggered by excessive exercise or an upper respiratory infection. The airways of people who have asthma are “chronically" (almost always) inflamed or irritated, especially if they are exposed to their triggers every day. This makes it hard for them to breathe. 

Asthma can be controlled by being aware of its warning signs and symptoms, using medicines properly to treat and prevent asthma episodes, and avoiding the things that trigger asthma problems. Each child's asthma is different, so it is important to know the asthma triggers and treatment plan of each individual. 

Use this checklist to learn how to make your child care setting a safe and healthy environment for children with asthma and allergies."

This form is intended to be used by child care programs when they enroll a child with a special health care need to communicate directly with the child’s health care provider. Communication between parents/guardians, the child care program and the primary care provider (medical home) requires the free exchange of protected medical information. Confidentiality laws state that parents/guardians must give permission to release protected medical information about their child.

Parents/guardians should be encouraged to sign the “Authorization for Release of Information” form to enable child care staff to communicate directly with the child’s medical home/primary care provider for information or questions about the care of a child with a special medical, developmental or behavioral need. This form is from Model Child Care Health Policies, 5th Edition.

View these automotive safety resources from the PA AAP's Traffic Injury Prevention Program (TIPP) for children with special needs. 

View the Automotive Safety Program: Car Safety for Children in Hip or Leg Casts, with Cerebral Palsy, with Down Syndrome, and with Autism. Also TIPP's National Center for the Safe Transportation of Children with Special Health Care Needs and Car Safety for Infants Born Prematurely or with Low Birth Weight.

This form facilitates communication from health care providers to other professionals who work with the child and family as part of formulating a coordinated and consistent plan of care for children with behavioral concerns.

Care Plan for a Child with Behavioral Concerns

These forms explain the process and documentation needed to enroll a child with special needs. The Process to Support Enrollment of a Child with a Special Need form is an algorithm or map that describes the steps to follow to obtain and use a care plan. The Care Plan is a form to gather key information to provide care for children with special health needs. The majority of early learning practitioners enroll children with special health needs. The form collects the essential information. It includes how to care for a child's daily needs and to handle an emergency. ECE programs should arrange for parents and health professionals to complete the form when the child is first considered for enrollment and anytime a new medical condition develops. Download the forms in the links below. The Care Plan Checklist lists elements that may be required in a care plan for a child with a special health care need (if not using the care plan template included on this posting).

CSHCN, instructions, process to enroll, checklist

Care Plan CSHCN

CSHCN Care Plan Checklist

CSHCN Care Plan Explanation

CSHCN Process to Enroll

Links, print resources and supports includes both national and Pennsylvania credentialed sources of information. It is intended for early educators, parents and health professionals who are caring for children with chronic physical, behavioral and developmental challenges.

CSHCN Resources Handout (PDF) - Newly Updated: Oct 2025 

Care Plan Explanation (PDF)

Care Plan Checklist for Children with Special Needs (PDF) - Jul 2021

Head Start: Caring for Children with Special Health Care Needs Resources List (PDF) - Feb 2023

"While all children grow and develop in unique ways, some children experience delays in their development. Children with developmental delays and disabilities benefit from The Pennsylvania Early Intervention program, a state supported network of parents, service practitioners, and others which builds upon the natural learning opportunities that occur within the daily routines of a child and their family."

Managing Chronic Health Needs in Child Care and Schools: A Quick Reference Guide, 2nd Edition helps teachers and caregivers address the challenges of caring for children with chronic health conditions and special health care needs in child care and school settings. The health issues covered include chronic illnesses, acute situations, and selected developmental and behavioral problems, with a special emphasis on children with special health care needs. More than 50 quick reference sheets on specific conditions provide teachers and caregivers with guidance on how to help at a glance. Quick reference sheets include Childhood Obesity, Eczema, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, Food Allergies, GERD, and more.

To order this book at the AAP bookstore:

Managing Chronic Health Needs in Child Care and Schools: A Quick Reference Guide, 2nd Edition [Paperback]

Managing Chronic Health Needs in Child Care and Schools: A Quick Reference Guide, 2nd Edition [eBook]

Managing Chronic Health Needs in Child Care and Schools Paperback and eBook Package

Publication Date: August 1, 2018

"At Parent to Parent of Pennsylvania, when someone asks what we do, we say we empower and support parents throughout our great state. We connect them with families of children & adults with special needs or disabilities who’ve had similar journeys.The peaks and valleys they experience along the way might sometimes feel a little overwhelming. So, we’re driven to ensure no parent feels alone. Ever. How? By providing the emotional support they need to help overcome whatever life throws at them. Share our own experiences and let them know, whatever happens, they’ve got this."