For many non-traditional candidates, the path into teaching is riddled with bumps and detours. They must pay for increasingly expensive coursework and certification costs, attend classes that conflict with work schedules, and forgo wages to complete unfunded student teaching requirements. These roadblocks can deter valuable local…

This paper delineates some major federal efforts concerning reading, namely, the activities of the National Institute of Education (NIE), the role of the U.S. Office of Education (USOE), and implications of Title VII of the Education Amendments of 1974. The impact of these agencies and legislation on the community is also examined. NIE is…

The article describes the work of the Canadian Association for Community Living which advocates replacing institutional commitment with community living for the retarded. A Community Living Resources Fund, provided by the federal government on an interim basis, to assist provinces in replacing institutions is proposed. (DB)

How to expand to a larger scale a working community-service program using federal money is considered. Planning time is an essential, as are a focus on program culture and technical support. Adapting programs, rather than prescribing solutions, should help in the cautious move toward a national program. (SLD)

The Candora women's collective uses a participatory model in developing community-based programming for women. Such grassroots organizations are faced with ethical dilemmas in negotiating the interests of funding agencies, organizations, and the women served. (SK)

This serial issue summarizes findings from a survey of 20 state mental retardation and developmental disabilities agencies and 93 community based providers on developing and financing community services. The survey queried respondents concerning: (1) which models or strategies for financing community services have been most effective; (2) what…

In the first in a series of regional hearings, the House Education and Labor Committee met in San Francisco to receive testimony concerning child care issues bearing on H.R. 3, the Early Childhood Education and Development Act. The legislation, which builds on programs of proven effectiveness, such as Head Start and early childhood education,…

The Secretary of Labor's 1988 Task Force on Child Care offers its general findings in this report. The report states that the Federal government is already addressing the child care issue on a large scale. State and local governments are dynamic in their response to the child care challenge and will probably respond even more aggressively in the…

Critical to the success of current efforts to reform and restructure education and other community supports and services to improve the lives of children and their families is the way in which they are financed. This report of The Finance Project presents an overview of eight initiatives that have overcome some of the barriers created by turf…

This report provides policymakers and advocates with information about the problems homeless families face and outlines short- and long-term solutions. Initial sections provide facts on homelessness in Virginia, an introduction, and an overview. Subsequent sections explore: (1) identification of the homeless and their characteristics; (2) causes…

This paper proposes that those who make policy for individuals with severe disabilities ought to evaluate current actions and frame proposed changes according to whether these changes protect or increase citizens' opportunities to build inclusive community by establishing suitable position and priority for adequate government investment. Such…

This report, in both English and Maltese, describes the mission and activities, from 1987 through 1992, of Malta's National Commission Persons with Disabilities. An introduction lists Commission aims, such as coordinating government and voluntary programs and activities serving people with disabilities and their families. The second section…

This report, one of series of reports describing innovative practices in integrating people with disabilities into community life, presents findings and recommendations of a review of the "Supported Housing Demonstration Project", which provides supportive community living services to approximately 32 people with severe physical…

Noting that the fragmented approach to early childhood education in the United States has resulted in enormous variability in program quality, this report describes characteristics of the "ecole maternelle," the preschool system in France. The report is based upon observations made by 15 American delegates who visited 11 preschools in…

This report reviews projects funded during 1989 within the Children with Severe Disabilities (CWSD) component of the Australian Government Special Education Program. The review examined four aspects: (1) identification of those currently receiving services through CWSD funds; (2) description of the type of programs being funded; (3) the role of…