Administrative and teaching staff members of the participating early childhood program are crucial team members in the planning and successful implementation of any inclusion program. Administrators and directors can impact community preschool staff responses to inclusion in a variety of ways. Addressing identified staff needs through inservice training is one way to alleviate concerns surrounding the inclusion of a child with disabilities. The director's attendance and participation in team meetings in which cooperation and joint planning between special services and early childhood staff occurs indicates support for a collaborative process. The program director influences the inclusion process most by supporting the early childhood staff when concerns, questions, and problems arise and by taking an active role in helping the staff address those issues. The involvement of the parents and family members of a child with disabilities in the same school functions and activities as other parents and families of the center demonstrates to participating staff the worth and contributions all families have to offer (Go to "Meet Community Program Directors in Inclusive Settings" page).

One of the most important stakeholders in the inclusion process is the early childhood classroom teacher. The success of inclusion relies on the belief of the early childhood teacher that the child with a disability is a valued member of the classroom with the same rights and needs as their typically developing peers. It is the early childhood teacher who is in the classroom on a daily basis and whose contributions include addressing the child's goals, objectives and needs throughout ongoing classroom activities. It is important to remember that the early childhood teacher is working on the strengths and needs of the child with disabilities, as well as the strengths and needs of all children in the classroom.

The early childhood teacher is the teacher of the classroom, and related services are provided in order to support the child with disabilities within that particular setting. It is not be the intent of the related services staff to "take over" the classroom and modify it to suit their individual needs in regard to the delivery of services. However, this is easier said than done in many instances. The early childhood staff will find that they need to learn new skills and strategies for working with children with disabilities. Related service providers will be spending time in the classroom, providing input with regard to activities and possible need for activity modification, assisting with planning and preparation, developing behavior programs, and so forth. Early childhood staff might at times feel as though their classroom has been invaded by related services personnel, with their every move being observed and evaluated. Issues surrounding differing philosophies and approaches in regard to working with young children are likely to arise and should be addressed at team meetings, which will be discussed later in this chapter (Go to "Meet Teachers in Inclusive Settgins" page) .