This report, first in a series of eight, is based on findings from a survey of the opinions of Californians, parents and nonparents, about everyday concerns of children, youth, and their families. It highlights the opinions of California parents about children's health insurance coverage. This information is particularly relevant as California…

This report, seventh of eight in a series, discusses the views of California parents about the significance of a child's early years, their preparation for parenting, and how well their communities meet their child care needs. The California Center for Health Improvement's (CCHI) Children and Youth Survey asked California parents several questions…

This collection of papers presented at a 1996 conference on children's mental health focuses on financing strategies of systems of care. Individual papers have the following titles and authors: (1) "Arizona's Implementation of Managed Care in the Public System: A State's Perspective" (Stephen Perkins and Valinda Mores); (2) "The…

Case studies of the shift of social services from federal to state governments have been conducted in 13 states. The focus of this report is on income support and social services in New York in 1996. Basic income support programs, programs designed to lessen the dependence of families on government-funded income support, and the last-resort safety…

This handbook provides suggestions useful in implementing supplemental services to children with handicaps in regular classrooms in Ohio. The information is organized into two major parts: administrative considerations and teacher considerations. Administrative considerations focus on the definition of a supplemental services program, determining…

This report highlights the major issues discussed during a 2-day workshop on Medicaid funding for community-based mental health services for children and youth with severe emotional disturbances. The report opens with a brief description of the service needs of children and youth with severe emotional disturbances and the system of care that can…

The emerging field of assistive technology offers employment and independent living for people with disabilities. However, agency staff, people with disabilities, and their guardians often spend substantial time finding appropriate technological solutions. The integration of technology into the existing service system is needed to maximize scarce…

The mission of the Florida Model Noninstructional Adult Literacy Centers is to identify, contact, and counsel adults (16 years of age or older) who lack basic or functional literacy skills and to refer them to appropriate private and public agencies. The centers were mandated by Florida state laws. Funding is provided by the state and through…

This report was prepared for the Iowa Department of Human Services (DHS) to help the state: (1) examine the current child care subsidy system in Iowa; (2) seek ways to maximize federal, state, and local funds for child care services; (3) simplify the administration of child care subsidies; and (4) promote the use of high quality child care,…

Following a 5-year planning and development cycle, Illinois has completed its first year of full implementation of a statewide, comprehensive, coordinated system of early intervention services for eligible infants and toddlers and their families under provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Among accomplishments noted…

Although the children in Texas face health and welfare issues common to other states, such as changing family structures, poverty, expanding immigrant populations, and tight budgets, there are unique aspects to Texas that must be factored in. These include having 254 counties, the largest rural population of any state, and a 46 percent increase in…

This report on Colorado's efforts to develop early intervention services for infants and toddlers with special needs and their families begins with a planning matrix displaying the program's philosophical base, methods, and system components. The report points out that the statewide service system should be designed to ensure access for all…

The Hawaii State Department of Education offers university credit courses in English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) techniques to all public school teachers, but the scarcity of trainers and the distance between schools and training sites constitute substantial obstacles. With the cooperation of the University of Hawaii's interactive television…

This report describes the personnel development requirements of Public Law 94-142 (the Education for All Handicapped Children Act), Delaware's Comprehensive System of Personnel Development (CSPD), and Delaware's proposed action plan. The scope of the CSPD system is covered, including descriptions of inservice and preservice training for general…

These proceedings report on activities at an annual meeting of directors of projects administered through the Severely Handicapped Branch, Division of Educational Services (DES) of the United States Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). The proceedings contain presentations by: (1) Judy A. Schrag, who described the scope and intent of the…