Who We Serve
Finding the right childcare for individual family needs IS possible
Finding a childcare provider that has the right combination of training, skills and flexibility – while still fitting within a family’s dynamic – can often seem impossible. However, many families have discovered that live-in childcare, provided by an Apex Care Professional is exactly what their family needs.
Apex Social understands that every family is unique and care requirements vary from one family to the next. That’s why we offer three categories of childcare: Special Developmental Needs, Early Childhood, and Infant Care.
Apex Social Live-In Child Care & Cultural Exchange
The live-in child care model allows for optimal flexibility and helps families to focus on reducing stress and creating a home environment that is structured, warm and positive for everyone Apex Social engages with Care Professionals who have a background in early childhood education, occupational, physical or speech therapy, ABA therapy, pediatric nursing, special needs education or another child development field to support interdisciplinary child care in the home environment.
All of our Care Professionals are seeking full-time, live-in childcare positions with American families where they can become like a family member and share their traditions and culture.
The live-in child care model allows for optimal flexibility and helps families to focus on creating a home environment that is structured, warm and positive for everyone.
Childcare for Families with Developmental Needs
Children with Developmental Delays or other Special Needs
Children who have special needs often require extra special care and understanding – something that isn’t guaranteed with just any childcare provider. Apex Social’s Developmental Needs program is dedicated to helping families find experienced, professional caregivers who are trained, interested and motivated to care for children with special needs. In addition, they understand the unique needs of children without special needs who are part of the same family.
Apex Social’s professional candidates have degrees in pediatric nursing, occupational therapy, physical therapy, early childhood education, special needs education and more. They have experience working with children with a variety of special needs including autism spectrum disorder, ADD/ADHD, Down syndrome, diabetes, epilepsy and seizures, extreme/undiagnosed disabilities, and other physical and mental delays.
The candidates participating in the Apex Social program have a keen interest in developing their professional experience and broadening their cultural horizons while living for a year or two in the U.S. Since Apex Social sources professional candidates directly through our network of European universities, vocational training schools, hospitals and referrals from organizations such as the German Red Cross, families can count on an extremely high caliber of live-in professional childcare.
Our Care Professionals who support families with special needs also have a wide range of relevant experience and training, which includes:
- Implementing therapy homework
- Creating and reinforcing routines
- Adapting the home environment
- Tailoring creative activities to individual capabilities
- Modeling appropriate behaviors
- Hygiene care and feeding
- Taking children to therapy appointments
- Working with the family to achieve developmental milestones
- Therapeutic stretching and exercises
- Maintaining a log of daily activities and progress
Many families who have children with special needs also have other children in the same household that do not have delays or disabilities. Our Care Professionals are adept at balancing the needs of all children in a family to ensure that each child receives the special attention and support they deserve.
Special Needs Disclosure
Apex Social is designated by the U.S. Department of State as an official Care Professional program sponsor. The U.S. Department of State does not define “special needs” and makes clear that host families, and not program sponsors, must identify their children’s special needs and must make the selection of a Care Professional based on their evaluation of the Care Professional’s skills, education, and/or training. A Care Professional is not intended to replace the services of other special care or education providers (such as therapists or teachers).
Special Needs Expertise
Families who work with Apex Social know they can rely on dependable live-in child care. Our Care Professionals feel supported by our education and resources, which allows them to provide care for children with developmental disabilities and their families as well. We work to pair families with Care Professionals who suit their needs, which sets us apart from traditional childcare services.
See how Apex Social Group can offer specialized care based on the special needs diagnosis:
ADD/ADHD
Care Professionals who work with Apex Social use their training and expertise to help families with children who are diagnosed with ADD/ADHD. Our Care Professionals, which include early childhood educators and pediatric nurses, provide support for behavioral therapy, implement organizational techniques, and support families to manage symptoms of ADD and ADHD, minimize distractions, and model appropriate behavior.
Autism
We work with Care Professionals who have a background in special needs and who have worked extensively with children diagnosed with autism. Families with autism account for the majority of our host families. Apex Social Group can help families find capable international Care Professionals doubly trained as occupational therapists who understand their child’s condition and can implement an ongoing treatment plan and home-based therapies.
Cerebral Palsy
Every year in the U.S., an estimated 10,000 babies develop cerebral palsy. However, no two children are affected in exactly the same way. We work with host families to match these children with Care Professionals who are trained in physical therapy or occupational therapy. These Care Professionals can help children with cerebral palsy improve their movement, coordination, balance, and dexterity using therapeutic approaches that supplement professional therapy sessions.
Developmental Delays & Seizures
Developmental delays can vary from impairments of speech or language, to problems with movement and motor skills, to genetic delays such as Down syndrome. Our Care Professionals provide high-quality skilled child care that is personalized based on the child’s diagnosis. This includes implementing therapy homework, creating routines, and generally providing a warm, supportive environment.
Undiagnosed / Severe
For families with children who have severe or undiagnosed special needs, Apex Social Group’s Care Professionals provide much-needed support and understanding, as well as specific training and skills that supplement regular visits to doctors and therapists.
Early Childhood
(Ages 2+)
According to the National Education Organization, “providing a high-quality education for children before they turn five yields significant medium- and long-term benefits.”
Children who participate in early childhood educational programming are:
- Less likely to repeat a grade
- Less likely to be identified as having special needs
- More prepared academically for later grades
- More likely to graduate from high school
- Higher earners in the workforce
Care Professionals have a wide range of educational tasks they can support, including:
- Designing and implementing lessons, and using activities to motivate and encourage learning
- Supervising remote learning lessons
- Setting and managing a weekly schedule
- Introducing age-appropriate activities (art, outdoor play, reading time, etc.)
- Helping with homework
- Providing subject-specific tutoring assistance
- Providing “after school” activities & care
- Preparing healthy meals
- Helping with bathing children and bedtime routines
- Assistance with potty training
- Introducing age-appropriate activities (art, outdoor play, reading time, etc.)
- Managing children’s busy schedules (playdates, appointments, activities)
- Helping with homework and providing tutoring assistance
- Packing school lunches and getting ready for school
- Managing children’s laundry
- Helping to keep children’s rooms tidy and organized
- Driving children to activities and school
- Doing special outings and activities
- Providing childcare and support during family vacations
- Giving parents an occasional night off
- Introducing children to a new language and culture
Infant Care
The arrival of a new baby is a joyous occasion that may also cause some parents to experience stress. Some families with new babies appreciate having live-in Care Professionals who are confident and capable of caring for babies. The Infant Care program offered by Apex Social Group helps unite families with childcare professionals who have experience caring for newborns. Many of our Care Professionals have degrees in Pediatric Nursing or Early Childhood Development. This specialized care offers an extra set of skilled, professional hands that can benefit parents of infants, parents with multiples, and parents with an infant and older children.
Our professional infant care candidates have experience with many types of infant care, including:
- Bottle feeding
- Introducing solid foods
- Bathing baby
- Soothing and calming baby
- Helping with colic, teething, or other common infant-related conditions
- Age-appropriate activities such as tummy time, holding objects, etc.
- Helping baby establish a routine
- Maintaining communication with parents about baby’s daily activities
- Managing baby’s laundry and other tasks such as bottle sterilizing, etc.
Our Service Areas
Want to know more?
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We’re excited to answer any questions or concerns you may have.