Public financing for education and an array of other children's services has become a topic of significant political concern. This toolkit is intended to assist state and local leaders, who are charged with writing bills and formulating legislative strategies, to create state/community partnerships that will facilitate the development of comprehensive community support systems. Section 1 outlines the context and rationale for legislative reform; methods for developing legislative strategy; and the toolkit's purpose, contents and intended uses. Section 2 contains sample legislation for comprehensive, community-based support systems, including the following subsections: legislative findings and intent; definitions; strengthening community support systems; building state government collaboration; creating a state child and family fund; and overcoming institutional barriers to state and community support systems. Section 3 is a guide for tailoring legislation to the needs, priorities, and policy context of specific states and is organized to correspond to the sections of the sample legislation, with a rationale and overview for each section. Section 4 is a review and analysis of federal and state legislation for children and families, highlighting key similarities, differences, trends over time, and noteworthy features. Section 5 is a guide to references and sources for related topic areas presented. (SD)