This booklet is written especially for students who are considering leaving their home countries to enter a college or university in the United States for a period of study. Its purpose is to provide these students with information about the costs of study in the United States, what responsibilities they will be expected to assume in meeting these…

The Children's Budget is a comprehensive report on funding for children's services in Colorado. This report provides a six- year funding history for more than 50 programs funded with state, local, and federal dollars. The Colorado Children's Budget analyzes reductions in programs and services during the economic downturn. The data in the…

Because school-based health centers are located in areas serving a large percentage of low-income minority children, they have the potential to provide health care services to millions of children lacking health insurance. Although support for these centers is growing, funding remains in jeopardy. This fact sheet details what child advocates can…

This paper addresses issues related to health care reform and the impact of managed care on health care services to children and youth with disabilities or special health care needs. Federal laws governing support for children with disabilities and their families are listed and briefly reviewed, noting a trend toward the dismantling of guarantees…

The handbook is intended to help parents of handicapped children understand and use Massachusetts' laws and federal legislation to obtain their children's rights to education, training, medical services, and tax and social security benefits. Guidelines regarding education concern such topics as the Bartley-Daly Law; class placement; home tutoring;…

This paper explains recent changes in the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program that affect adolescents with disabilities or chronic health problems. Changes include the SSI work incentives available to them, how they can maintain access to quality health care and benefits during their transition years, and key issues in transition planning.…

As one of a series of topic papers assessing federal laws and programs affecting persons with disabilities, this paper outlines several ways in which existing Social Security laws serve to discourage and penalize people with disabilities if they seek to become employed and self-supporting. Programs funded under the Social Security Act are…

This paper describes the State Children's Health Insurance Program's (SCHIP's) financing system, examining two alternatives under consideration for changing the system of redistributing unspent SCHIP funds. Section 1 presents background on SCHIP's financing structure (it is a block grant program, each state's share of federal SCHIP funds is…

This special supplement presents two background papers, three working papers, and key recommendations from a conference on culture and chronic illness in childhood. The meeting had as its goal the identification of the state of knowledge on the interface among culture, chronic illness, child development, and family functioning, for the purpose of…

This guide to early intervention services under Part H of Public Law 101-476 (the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) is intended to aid state legislators who have the primary responsibility to create and shape programs under this Act. Three aspects of Part H legislation are stressed: (1) requirement of unprecedented coordination among…

The private health financing system in the United States does not meet the needs of much of the population, especially midlife women (aged 35-65). It is no longer possible for anyone but the richest persons to pay for their own health care. This situation developed during the past 3 decades, during which employer-paid health care expanded…

This book provides a comprehensive examination of the rise of free agent workers, how free agency is transforming the lives of free agents and those around them, problems encountered by free agents, and the future of free agency. The following are among the topics discussed in the book's 19 chapters: (1) the numbers and nuances of free agency; (2)…

Information concerning students and scholars from the People's Republic of China (PRC) currently in the United States was obtained through a survey of U.S. colleges and universities where the Chinese are studying or conducting research. Responses received from 133 of the 168 U.S. institutions that were sent questionnaires indicated that there were…

This Children's Defense Fund 1997 report on the state of America's children highlights the critical need for renewed commitment to children by all sectors of society. The introduction discusses Americans' values and presents 25 tips for effective child advocacy. The report then details the following: (1) the impact of welfare reform on children…

This handbook analyzes current problems related to the health, early child care and education, and availability of resources and supports for children, youth, and families in Pennsylvania; discusses current efforts to address these problems; and suggests short- and long-term objectives for state activities. Part 1, "Child Health,"…