Home and Community-Based Support for Children with Special Needs
Our HCBS program provides flexible, personalized services for children with health, mental health, or developmental needs — helping them thrive at home and in their community while avoiding institutional care.
What is HCBS and Why it Matters
Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) are designed for children and youth who need extra support to stay healthy, safe, and successful in their natural environments — at home, in school, and in their communities.
HCBS are an alternative to hospital or long-term facility care, allowing children to receive the services they need while remaining with their families and continuing their normal routines.
At Sunshine Care Network, we provide comprehensive HCBS including community habilitation, respite care, prevocational services, family advocacy support, and health home care management. Each service is flexible and personalized to meet the unique health, mental health, substance use treatment, and/or developmental needs of every child and youth.
Why Children with Special Needs Thrive at Home
The Importance of Home and Community:
For decades, children with significant disabilities, intellectual disabilities, physical disabilities, and complex medical needs were routinely placed in institutions, group homes, or residential facilities. Research now clearly shows that children do best when they can remain with their families in their home communities.
Benefits of Home and Community-Based Care:
Children who remain at home maintain strong family bonds, sibling relationships, and a sense of belonging that institutional settings cannot replicate. Home and community are where children feel most comfortable and secure — reducing anxiety, supporting learning, and promoting development. HCBS provide personalized, one-on-one support tailored to each child's unique needs, rather than institutional group programming. Children learn skills in the actual environments where they'll use them — making it easier to transfer learning to real-life situations. Families can maintain cultural traditions, religious practices, languages, and values while receiving support services, and community-based services are typically less expensive than institutional care while producing better outcomes.
Who Benefits from HCBS:
HCBS serve children with a wide range of needs, including those with developmental disabilities (children with intellectual disabilities, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, or other developmental conditions), complex medical needs (children with chronic illnesses, genetic conditions, or disabilities requiring specialized health management), mental health challenges (children with serious emotional disturbances who need intensive community-based mental health support), and multiple disabilities (children with combinations of physical, cognitive, and sensory disabilities).
The Role of Health Home Care Management:
Health Home Care Managers are the key coordinators of HCBS. They assess the child's needs across all areas (medical, developmental, behavioral, social), connect families to appropriate HCBS services, coordinate care among multiple providers, ensure services are working together effectively, advocate for the child and family, and monitor progress while adjusting services as needed. For families of children with complex needs, Health Home Care Managers are invaluable partners who ensure nothing falls through the cracks.
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Eligibility Determination & Assessment
We work with families to determine HCBS eligibility and assess the specific needs, strengths, and goals of the child/youth.
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Personalized Service Plan
Our Health Home Care Manager coordinates with families and service providers to create a customized plan addressing all aspects of the child's care.
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Service Delivery in Natural Settings
HCBS are provided where children are most comfortable — at home or in the community — focusing on skill development and goal achievement.
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Ongoing Coordination & Support
We continuously monitor progress, coordinate with all providers, and adjust services to ensure children receive the comprehensive care they need to stay healthy.
Need extra care at home/in the community
Want to avoid hospitalization - Seeking to prevent or reduce hospital or long-term facility placement
Are found eligible for HCBS - Meet state criteria for home and community-based services
Are enrolled in Medicaid - Or eligible to enroll
Community Habilitation
Learn social and daily living skills, communication, independence, and how to make informed choices in community settings.
Planned Respite
Scheduled short-term care giving caregivers of children with special needs necessary breaks while the child is in a safe, structured, supervised environment.
Prevocational Services
Help older children and teens develop work-related skills like communication, problem-solving, and time management to prepare for future employment.
Caregiver/Family Advocacy & Support
Guidance, education, and emotional support helping families navigate services, advocate for their child with special needs, and connect with resources.
Community Habilitation: One-on-one skill-building in natural settings helping children with disabilities learn to cook, manage hygiene, communicate effectively, participate in community activities, and live as independently as possible.
Day Habilitation: Center-based programming providing structured skill-building, socialization, and activities for children with significant disabilities.
Respite Services – Planned and Crisis: Both scheduled respite giving families regular breaks and crisis respite providing immediate relief during emergency situations.
Prevocational Services: Teaching work readiness skills, job exploration, workplace behavior, and career planning for teens and young adults with disabilities preparing for employment.
Families and individuals trust Sunshine Care Network because we combine lived experience with professional excellence.
Certified specialists with personal recovery experience
Trauma-informed, strength-based approach
Flexible meeting locations - home, community, or telehealth
Crisis support available for pre-crisis and crisis situations
Collaborative care that works alongside your existing treatment team
New York
Our statewide New York team delivers compassionate, personalized services - helping children, families, and schools thrive every day.
Real experiences, real impact
Families and communities we serve often share stories of growth, confidence, and hope. Discover how Sunshine Care Network makes a difference every day.
Truly care that changed our child’s life
We found Sunshine Care Network when we were feeling overwhelmed with our child’s needs. The team stepped in and provided truly individualised support, meeting us at home and at school. Today our daughter is more confident, engaged and happy. We’re so grateful for the caring staff and clear communication every step of the way.
Laura & Michael R.
A respectful, family-centered experience
From the first intake meeting through ongoing therapy, Sunshine Care Network made everything simple and respectful. The staff took time to listen to our family’s story, set up a schedule that suited our busy lives and shared progress in a way we could understand. It’s been a game-changer for us.
Jessica & Tom S
Warm professionals who focus on real progress
Working with Sunshine Care Network’s ABA and peer-support services has been one of the best decisions we’ve made. The therapists are professional, warm and knowledgeable, and the process is genuinely centred around our child’s strengths. Highly recommend to any family seeking lasting results and strong partnership.
Rebecca K.
Ready to Take the First Step?
Whether you’re a parent, school, or community partner, Sunshine Care Network is here to guide you. Let’s build brighter futures together.
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Sunshine Care Network provides comprehensive support services for children, families, and schools throughout New York State and Texas. Our mission is to empower growth, resilience, and brighter futures.