Parents' experiences in seeking child care for school age children with disabilities—Where does the system break down?

The purpose of this study was to examine the process through which families of school age children with disabilities seek care and to identify the points in the process where the system fails families. Using a qualitative approach, we track the pathways that families follow in their quest to secure care. Focus groups and phone interviews were conducted with 37 parents. Data were analyzed qualitatively using a grounded theory approach with the help of Nudist (N6) software. Clear patterns emerged regarding why care options were perceived to be unavailable. We use a flowchart, which we call the ‘care cycle’ to identify pathways representing the sequence of activities followed by families in their search for child care. We also discuss possible solutions that can help address barriers that occur at each phase of the care cycle.