May - June 2000

Cover

Included in this issue are subsidized housing and the needs of domestic violence victims, the Self-Sufficiency Standard for Policy-Making, Evaulation and Client Counseling, Displinary Exclusion of Students with Disabilities, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1997 and Child Care and Community Economic Development.

 
  • About This Issue

  • Child Care and Community Economic Development: Critical Roles for Legal Services

    Child care represents the critical nexus of children, families, and their community. Strengthening the existing child care industry and expanding resources and services to build a child care infrastructure thus should be central to any legal services strategy for strengthening neighborhoods. Many legal services programs, pro bono programs, and law school clinics already are developing links between child care advocacy and community economic development.

    By Stephanie Upp, Chris Palamountain, Alice Bussiere, and Brad Caftel

  • Subsidized Housing and the Unique Needs of Domestic Violence Victims

    As national and local housing providers struggle to implement subsidized housing program changes wrought by the Quality Housing Work and Responsibility Act of 1998, advocates for domestic violence victims have an opportunity to influence local housing providers' policy determinations in order to serve victims' needs better. Such advocates must be knowledgeable about sources of affordable housing, barriers to accessing and maintaining housing for domestic violence victims, strategies for overcoming these barriers, and specific areas in which advocates can influence housing providers.

    By Susan A. Reif and Lisa J. Krisher

  • Meeting Needs, Measuring Outcomes: The Self-Sufficiency Standard as a Tool for Policy-Making, Evaluation, and Client Counseling

    Developed by Wider Opportunities for Women, the self-sufficiency standard measures how much income is needed by a family of a given composition in a given place to meet its needs adequately and without public or private assistance. This standard, which differs from the federal poverty measure, can be used as a benchmark to measure welfare and work-force development policy outcomes, to demonstrate the impact of public policy alternatives, to target higher-wage sectors of the economy, and to change how caseworkers counsel clients about jobs and careers.

    By Jennifer Brooks and Diana Pearce

  • Disciplinary Exclusion of Students with Disabilities

    The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, its regulations, and section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 provide children with disabilities with protections against inappropriate school discipline, including disciplinary exclusion from education. These laws are important tools for advocates working to ensure that children with disabilities receive appropriate services and supports, a free appropriate public education, and adequate protection from criminal charges filed by school personnel.

    By Eileen L. Ordover

  • New Regulations Implementing the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997—an Overview (Part 2)

    The 1997 amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act offer children with disabilities greater opportunities to participate in a mainstream education curriculum. Substantive requirements such as the individualized education program, as well as procedural protections, are available for holding states and school districts accountable for improving educational outcomes for students with disabilities.

    By Kathleen B. Boundy

  • Legal Research on the Web: Educational Rights of Children With Disabilities

    Advocates can tap information on the educational rights of children with disabilities from Web sites maintained by organizations and agencies concerned with the education of children with disabilities.

    By Gwendelyn A. Daniels

  • The 2000 Version of the Quick and Easy Method of Screening for Medicaid Eligibility under the Pickle Amendment

    By Gordon Bonnyman

  • Case Reports

  • Case Table

  • Specialized Litigation and Support Centers