The California State Teachers' Retirement System (CalSTRS) is in the midst of phasing in substantial increases in the contributions made by teachers, school districts, and the state of California. The phase-in period began in 2014-15. In the year prior, 2013-14, the total statutory contribution rate to CalSTRS from all parties was 18.3 percent of…

Young children's development occurs along a continuum, with milestones reached at ages that vary within an accepted timeframe. Milestones not met within the expected timeframe can raise concerns about developmental delays, health conditions, or other factors contributing negatively to the child's growth and learning. Monitoring children's…

By addressing common reasons that schools and mental health partners often cannot sustain sufficient school-based mental health services, Connecting With Care (CWC)--a mental health collaboration that places full-time clinicians in schools in Boston's most under-served urban neighborhood--is demonstrating how schools and districts can leverage…

Despite government commitments to Education for All (EFA) and Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to improve access to education, more than 18 million primary-aged children remain out of school in the Asia-Pacific (UNESCO, 2014). Given the impact of education on individuals, societies, and economies, there is great urgency for governments to…

The nation continues its ceaseless struggle with the spiraling cost of health care. Previous efforts (regulation, competition, voluntary action) have included almost every strategy except clinical. Insurers have largely failed in their cost-containment efforts. There is a strong emerging body of literature that demonstrates the relationship…

"New Jersey Kids Count 2011" again documents both advances and setbacks in key areas that affect child well-being--poverty, health, child protection, education, including early learning, and adolescent well-being. To better gauge New Jersey's progress in essential areas, a "New Jersey Kids Count Report Card" that identifies…

This paper considers the use of parental fees and private insurance as sources of funding for early intervention services under Part H of Public Law 99-457, the 1986 amendments to the Education of the Handicapped Act. First, relevant legislative authorities are cited including the Maternal and Child Health Service Block Grant (1981) and guidelines…

Discusses the options for securing funding to provide assistive technology devices and services in service settings. Options include Medicaid, The School Health and Related Services Program, and The Early Periodic, Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment Program. Considers Medicaid payment requirements and private insurance as a funding source.…

The data are intended to offer a comprehensive picture of disability and rehabilitation in the United States. Provided are a selection of existing statistics on the prevalence and distributions of disability and the programs, organizations, and occupations concerned with the disabled and their rehabilitation. Also included is an account of…

Homeless children in families comprise the fastest-growing group of homeless persons in the United States. Indeed, the American Academy of Pediatrics considers homelessness to be an issue with which pediatricians should be concerned. In this article, we review existing literature to provide a background for researchers, policymakers, and social…

The booklet offers suggestions for parents concerned with providing lifetime protection for a child with mental retardation. Emphasis is placed on the interrelationship between the child's prospective needs of social and/or economic supports and the formal mechanisms which can be brought to bear on them. Four major topics are addressed: (1)…

This manual was designed primarily for use by individuals with developmental disabilities and related conditions. It is hoped that it is also useful for families, as well as service coordinators and providers who directly assist families and individuals with developmental disabilities. The main focus of this manual is to provide easy-to-read…

Background: Recent changes to Medicaid policy may have unintended consequences in the education system. This study estimated the potential financial impact of the Deficit Reduction Act (DRA) on school districts by calculating Medicaid-reimbursed behavioral health care expenditures for school-aged children in general and children in special…

This testimony before the U.S. Senate Committee on the Budget discussed Medicaid coverage of children with disabilities and the proposed Family Opportunity Act of 2000 that would create a new state option to allow parents who have a child with a severe disability or a potentially severe disability to purchase health care coverage for the child…

This guide is intended to assist Wisconsin school districts in accessing the health care financing system as a means of supporting specialized services. Topics covered include: determination of a local education agency's potential for third-party covered services; the need to become a certified provider dependent upon the funding source;…