During the IFSP/IEP meeting, the parents/caregivers should be provided with a variety of options for the delivery of special services for which a child demonstrates a need. For example, options might include:

1. placement in a community preschool in which the school district has placement spaces for children with special needs (if available*);
2. delivery of services in a community preschool in which the child already attends;
3. offering to deliver services in a community preschool setting if the parent/caregiver chooses to enroll their child in a program; and
4. any other options which the school district has available for preschoolers with special needs (special education classroom, home-based services, etc.).

It is the family's choice where the child will receive services. The important thing to remember when considering the provision of services within a community preschool setting is that this should be a team decision. Members of the child's team should include not only the child's parents or caregivers, but all the related service providers, and the community preschool staff. There is no particular "formula" or secret to determining how a child with disabilities will be served within a community preschool setting. Rather, it is our belief that any child, regardless of type or level of disability, can potentially be served very will in a regular early childhood preschool setting. The team will analyze each child's situation and determine the logistics of providing services within the inclusive preschool setting.

Our experience has been that some parents feel quite strongly about making sure their child is included in a community preschool program and other parents are much more hesitant about the move from the special education classroom. It is important that we actively advocate for providing special services within community preschool settings. By showing our support and enthusiasm for inclusion, we can open doors for children with disabilities who might not otherwise have had the opportunity to attend a typical preschool program.

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*If your special services program has placement spaces with community preschools or is considering moving toward that model, you may want to consider developing an enrollment or consideration list for families who are interested in inclusion for their child. We have found it helpful to have the parents complete a form (parent's name, address, home and work phone numbers, child's name, date of birth, etc.) which indicates their interest in an inclusive preschool placement. This form might also include the parent's preference for time of day (a.m. or p.m.), and the date the parents would like their child to begin attendance (see example in chapter 10 appendix).