This practicum was designed to provide teaching professionals with advocacy information, skills, techniques, and resources in order to increase participant awareness and self-confidence, and, ultimately, their community involvement. The primary method used to address this goal was the development and presentation of three workshops. These were…

Because early childhood educators were minimally knowledgeable about and uninvolved in state legislative activities affecting their profession, an experienced child advocate developed a practicum to increase practitioners' knowledge and involvement. To attain practicum objectives, an advocacy handbook was developed and an advocacy project support…

The practicum addressed the problem of lack of parent involvement in the development of IEPs (Individualized Education Programs) for their handicapped children, through development of a slide program and associated materials. The program attempted to educate parents regarding the IEP process, their role in it according to Public Law 94-142 (The…

The Children's Center, a combined public and private day care center in Connecticut, was the site of a practicum intervention which was rooted in the belief that day care centers have the responsibility to defend childhood, link preschools and public schools, and engage in political advocacy for children. Major goals of the intervention were to:…

This practicum was designed to enhance the perception of the early childhood professional among parents of children at an on-site child development center in a medical center. A pattern was documented of negative communication and lack of respect for the goals and policies of the child care center. The practicum's goal was to replace the parental…

This practicum provided support to isolated parents whose institutionalized children with mental handicaps were being returned to the community. It focused specifically on an isolated single parent father with a teenage daughter. The father joined a parent group for support. Support was provided to the father by assisting him in accessing…

The problem of families' limited access to community early childhood services and information was addressed in this practicum. Negative outcomes for young children and their families in a northeastern city were attributed to difficulties in locating and providing services for the developmental needs of children between birth and age 5. The…

This practicum project was designed to educate developmentally delayed students, parents, and educators concerning the availability of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) through application to the Social Security Administration. Results of a survey of school staff and parents showed a need for information dissemination concerning SSI funds. The…