As public school personnel struggle to provide preschool-age children with disabilities with high quality, normalized or inclusive preschool experiences, there is an increased need for collaboration with community-based early childhood providers. This paper addresses the federal legal requirements for public school, Head Start, and community-based early childhood personnel, as well as the rights of parents related particularly to public education services to young children (ages 3-5) with disabilities in community-based programs. Three federal laws are reviewed: the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the Head Start Act, and the Americans with Disabilities Act. The legal responsibilities of public school personnel, child care providers, Head Start grantees, and parents are specifically discussed for the following areas: (1) individualized educational placements, (2) eligibility, (3) supervision of service delivery, and (4) financial responsibility. The paper concludes that effective inclusive programs are the result of collaborative partnerships. An appendix lists seven organizational resources for information on early childhood policies and programs. (DB)