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Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons™
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Articles 1 - 6 of 6
Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
Family Economic Security, Ann Acheson
Family Economic Security, Ann Acheson
Maine Policy Review
Research shows that family economic insecurity when children are very young can have lifelong effects. Ann Acheson gives an overview of patterns of poverty and family economic insecurity in Maine, including the marked regional differences in poverty, income, and employment in the state. She describes some of the key benefits and programs to help support lower-income families and examines current policies and policy recommendations for addressing poverty and economic insecurity. Acheson notes that while Maine has been progressive in many of its policies that support family economic security, states can’t do it all, since much of the program and benefits …
Interdepartmental Coordination For Maine’S Young Children With Disabilities, Alan B. Cobo-Lewis
Interdepartmental Coordination For Maine’S Young Children With Disabilities, Alan B. Cobo-Lewis
Maine Policy Review
Alan B. Cobo-Lewis describes Maine’s system of services for young children with disabilities. He notes that families of young children with disabilities face challenges in navigating Maine’s service structure. There can be delays before children get appropriate evaluation, and there are sometimes problems with inter-agency referrals. Cobo-Lewis makes a number of recommendations regarding data linkage; coordination of eligibility determination from different funding streams; updating inter-agency agreements; and creation of a more efficient state departmental structure for services to children with disabilities
Working Parents And Child Care: Charting A New Course For Quality, Michael Lahti, Rachel Connelly, Georgia N. Nigro, Rebecca Fraser-Thill
Working Parents And Child Care: Charting A New Course For Quality, Michael Lahti, Rachel Connelly, Georgia N. Nigro, Rebecca Fraser-Thill
Maine Policy Review
Close to two-thirds of children in Maine under the age of five need child care while their parents work. The quality of child care is a critical policy concern, since research has found that early childhood experience plays a major role in later-life success for individuals. The authors report on findings from three studies regarding child care arrangements in Maine and the quality of child care in the state and nationally. They describe the development and implementation of Maine’s new Quality Rating System (QRS) for child care facilities, Quality for ME, and the role that it can play both in …
Child Care And Work Challenges For Maine’S Parents Of Children With Special Needs, Helen D. Ward, Julie A. Atkins, Erin E. Oldham
Child Care And Work Challenges For Maine’S Parents Of Children With Special Needs, Helen D. Ward, Julie A. Atkins, Erin E. Oldham
Maine Policy Review
Research by the authors with parents, child care providers, and other service providers found that parents of children with special needs face particular challenges trying to maintain stable employment while balancing work and family. These parents have more difficulty finding and keeping child care for children with special needs, and there is a lack of coordination of therapy with child care programs. Since the study was completed, Maine has taken several steps to begin to address these issues
Parent Education:“Prepare The Child For The Path, Not The Path For The Child”, Candace J. Eaton
Parent Education:“Prepare The Child For The Path, Not The Path For The Child”, Candace J. Eaton
Maine Policy Review
Candace J. Eaton describes why parent education is important and discusses a number of parent-education approaches and programs that currently exist in Maine. She argues that we need to increase access to research-supported programs, parent-education classes, and support groups to all geographic areas of the state and all populations. In this era of reduced funding, Eaton recommends continuous evaluation of program outcomes and the limitation of funding to programs and approaches that show positive improvements.
Introduction To The Early Childhood Issue, Leslie A. Forstadt, Sheryl Peavey
Introduction To The Early Childhood Issue, Leslie A. Forstadt, Sheryl Peavey
Maine Policy Review
Guest editors Leslie Forstadt and Sheryl Peavey introduce the articles in this special issue of Maine Policy Review on early childhood by highlighting the myriad of programs and policies affecting Maine’s young children and their families. To illustrate the challenges faced by parents, they present the fictional account of a young woman facing an unexpected pregnancy. The story illustrates the sometimes confusing array of services, programs, and funding for young children and their parents. The authors argue “it is time to make every door into the system of early childhood services the right door for every parent.”