This conference explored the policy issues surrounding the growth of strategic alliances among telecommunications firms and explored the forces stimulating (and discouraging) alliances. It asked how alliances might affect public policy goals or create problems such as anticompetitive behavior or excess market power. It also explored how alliances…

The burden of suffering experienced by children with mental health needs and their families is causing a health crisis. As demonstrated in this report of the Surgeon General, the highest levels of government have elicited interest in the mental health needs of children. The Surgeon General's Conference on Children's Mental Health and a meeting on…

This packet was assembled to share the contents of an audio conference sponsored by the National Early Childhood Technical Assistance System (NECTAS) on October 1, 1997. The purpose of the audio conference was to identify strategies for improving communication and working relationships with the health care community, including HMOs, to ensure the…

This document reports on the design, purpose, and outcomes of a 1998 policy forum which reviewed the evolution of the continuum of special education services, identified critical issues related to the continuum, and recommended new directions for the continuum. The forum recommended a new vision for a continuum designed to provide comprehensive,…

For more than a decade there has been great interest in educational circles about school-linked services ways by which children can receive the full range of social services they need to enter their classrooms ready to learn and parents can get the help they need to support their children's development. This publication presents summaries of the…

This newsletter theme issue focuses on the Global Workshop on Children with Disabilities, which was designed to promote a multisectoral dialogue to secure and expand opportunities for children with disabilities and their families to be included on equal terms in global economic and social development. The opening statements of Stephen F. Mosle…

In 1998, one decade after the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act was implemented and research results on the impacts of funding were becoming available, an evaluation of the effectiveness of fifteen programs, which included services such as emergency shelter, primary health care, and education, was needed This report presents 13 papers…

Even Start is a comprehensive program of family support intended to help parents provide children who are at-risk with the tools necessary to start formal schooling. This report provides an overview of the conference agendas of three U.S. Department of Education Even Start Technical Assistance conferences, as well as information gathered from the…

In March 1994, representatives of rural Delaware school districts and community agencies met to develop information, insights, and plans that would lead to better services for all children, youth, and adults in their communities. The first part of this report summarizes the major ideas generated by small-group working sessions, and discusses the…

Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have demonstrated effectiveness in a spectrum of activities, including outreach to the poor, action against gender discrimination, and relief services. Partnerships between government and NGOs offer unique opportunities for progress toward sustainable development. In the context of some recent government…

This paper summarizes the "Global Workshop on Children with Disabilities in Developing Countries" held in Washington, D.C. in February 1997. The conference focused on children with disabilities in developing countries which encouraged networking, linkages, and partnerships. The conference was attended by representatives of more than 30 nations,…

Developed as a result of an institute on rehabilitation issues, this document is a guide to assistive technology as it affects successful competitive employment outcomes for people with disabilities. Chapter 1 offers basic information on assistive technology including basic assumptions, service provider approaches, options for technology…

School buildings are expensive to construct and to maintain, yet many are used for only a few hours each day. There is also a growing demand for facilities for lifelong learning, leisure, and other community activities, while financial pressures on national and local authorities continue to grow. In 1995, the OECD Programme on Educational Building…

Drawing on testimonials and case studies, this collection of conference papers describes a variety of professional associations, organizations, and individuals working together for the benefit of our most fragile families and children. The 48 papers are divided into sections that: (1) express the vision at the core of partnerships phenomenon; (2)…

When the Maternal and Child Health Bureau implemented an initiative in 1995 to support mental health for school-age children and youth by strengthening the capacity of school-linked health programs to address psychosocial issues and mental health problems, two national centers and five state projects were developed. The work of projects in…