Presents results of a three-state mailed survey that examined pre- and postadoptive service needs of 562 families who adopted children, most of whom had special needs, through public child welfare agencies. Financial and medical adoptive subsidies emerged as pivotal service needs. Counseling and education services and respite care were evaluated…

In this paper, by an educator who is also the parent of a son with mental retardation, the urgent needs of families whose children have chronic medical needs in addition to disabilities are discussed. One family's efforts to maintain their severely retarded and disabled son at home are described as an illustration not only of the unsurpassed…

This booklet documents the ability of parents of children with special health needs and disabilities to achieve balance in their lives, by moving from crisis to control, from challenge to opportunity, from questions to answers. The booklet discusses concerns that confront parents of children with special needs, and answers the most common…

The study examined family support services currently utilized by families of individuals with developmental disabilities, and family support services seen as important by respondent families in the state of Hawaii. A total of 625 questionnaires were distributed via 24 agencies; 234 useable surveys were returned for a 39% response rate. The survey…

We examined the service needs of foster families with children who have disabilities. Foster parents in a large Canadian city were asked "What services or supports would be helpful to you?" The responses to this question were edited for clarity and to eliminate redundancies, and sorted into piles of like statements by a group of 15…