This article presents a framework for providing services to infants with disabilities and their families, by conceptualizing early intervention in terms of levels of prevention. Primary, secondary, and tertiary levels of prevention are proposed to prevent the manifestation, severity, or extended impact of developmental delays; and implications for…

This brochure presents an overview of the eight trial Family Support Programs in Illinois which attempt to meet needs of families of children with disabilities in order to enable such children to remain with their families and avoid institutional placements. Principles of family support are listed, including its focus on whole families and meeting…

"Integrated services" refers to the collaborative delivery of educational, health, and social services for children and families such that families have a single point of entry into the delivery system. In some states, attempts to integrate social service delivery are part of education reform legislation. In Kentucky, schools link the…

Findings are presented from a site visit to a Raleigh, North Carolina, program that provides in-home support to children and adults with severe disabilities and their families. The program, the Wake County Community Alternatives Program for Persons with Mental Retardation/Developmental Disabilities, is administered by the North Carolina Department…

This handbook offers a set of practical ideas and their philosophical underpinnings, designed to assist community groups which desire to form interagency coordinating councils. A Local Interagency Coordinating Council (LICC) works to develop, coordinate, and provide a community-based, comprehensive system of services for young children with…

Basic information about respite care for individuals with disabilities and their families is presented in a question-and-answer format. The following questions are addressed: "What is respite?"; "Who needs respite services?"; "Who provides respite services?"; "What kinds of services are provided?"; "How…

A profile is provided of the 40 Local Interagency Coordinating Councils (LICCs) in Kansas, which work to develop and coordinate services to infants and toddlers with special needs and their families, as established by Part H of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The profile is intended to describe the status of Kansas LICCs, to…

This report focuses on positive practices in providing support services to families of children with severe disabilities and chronic illnesses, based on visits to three sites in Maryland: the Family Support Program at the Kennedy Institute in Baltimore, the Coordinating Center for Home and Community Care, and Sick Kids Need Involved People (SKIP).…

The report presents findings from a survey of 243 caregiving families in Massachusetts which explored family needs and characteristics, as well as those of their developmentally disabled family members. Survey questions focused on family information, characteristics of the disabled family member, information on family needs, care-related costs…

This report provides a model for the provision of social services to single parents. The activities the center provides include drop-in support groups, workshops on single parent issues, a single parent magazine, individual counseling and community outreach. The report briefly specifies the goals of the center and the rationale behind its…

Respite care provides relief or backup emergency care for families of individuals who are developmentally disabled. In sparsely populated rural areas, center-based urban models for service delivery and provider recruitment and training may be inappropriate. Las Cumbres Learning Services has developed a model for provision of respite care services…

A study with 48 family caregivers of children with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) examined the relationships of family functioning, stress, and social support. A family adaptational model is suggested, which integrates the concepts of stress, coping, and ecological systems. Service delivery considerations for family support are discussed. (JDD)

Parents (n=121) of children with emotional/behavioral disorders were surveyed to obtain their perceptions of contacts with service agencies and views on design and implementation of comprehensive services. Overall, parents viewed the services favorably. Concerns focused on obtaining information about community services, finding recreational…

Offers a survey and critique of three approaches for increasing family care of elderly people: filial support legislation, incentives for family caregivers, and service-rationing provisions. Results indicate that policies that require or encourage relatives to provide care may have adverse consequences for elderly people and their families. (RJM)

This paper examines the delivery of social and human services to school-aged children and their families through some form of coordination with the local school. A questionnaire was completed by representatives of 55 state agencies in Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. Respondents reported that their agencies provided 88…