Three Workplace Models for Children with Special Needs

SUMMARY

Employees caring for dependent family members face complex challenges in their personal and professional lives. Employee benefit programs can provide important support for those facing these circumstances. When the dependent is a child with a special need, workplace programs can help families more effectively utilize employee benefits and access public and private resources. Employee assistance and work-life programs are particularly well suited for addressing the needs of these employees and their children. In 2005, three large U.S. employers implemented programs specifically for employees who have children with special needs. These employers reported positive impacts on employee retention and commitment, improved utilization of employee benefit programs, and improved promotion of corporate diversity objectives.

KEYWORDS:

• Children with special needs
• disability
• diversity
• employee assistance programs
• employee benefits
• employee networks
• work life

This project was supported in part by a Cooperative Agreement (#1U93MC00183) from the Maternal and Child Health Bureau, DHHS.

Notes

Source: Phase 2 Workplace Demonstration Projects, MGH Collaborative Employee Benefit Study for CSHCN.

At the time of this study, Christina F. Fluet was with Massachusetts General Hospital, Center for Child and Adolescent Health Policy, and Doug Grossman-McKee was with Progressive Corporation.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Christina Fluet

Christina Fluet, MPH, MA, Consortium for Children with Special Health Care Needs, Boston, MA.

Sandra Turner

Sandra Turner, PhD, Ernst and Young, Cleveland, OH.

Barry Collamore

Barry Collamore, MBA, Raytheon Company, Waltham, MA.

Doug Grossman-McKee

Doug Grossman-McKee, PhD, Whole Health Management, Inc.

James Perrin

James Perrin, MD, Massachusetts General Hospital, Center for Child and Adolescent Health Policy, Boston, MA.

Susan Epstein

Susan Epstein, MSW, New England SERVE, Boston, MA.

Deborah Allen

Deborah Allen, ScD, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA.

Betsy Anderson

Betsy Anderson, FCSN/Family Voices, Boston, MA.

Nora Wells

Nora Wells, FCSN/Family Voices, Boston, MA.

Karen Kuhlthau

Karen Kuhlthau, PhD, Massachusetts General Hospital, Center for Child and Adolescent Health Policy, Boston, MA. E-mail: [email protected]

Lynda Honberg

Lynda Honberg, MHSA, HRSA/Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Division of Services for Children with Special Health Care Needs, Rockville, MD. E-mail: [email protected]