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More about the project...

 
Advisory Committee:

An Advisory Committee made up of representatives of  relevant state agencies, as well as independent organizations and individuals with an interest in the policy issues being examined, met throughout the project to advise us on our approach.  See the link to a listing of Advisory Committee members on this web site.

 

 

 

Our Research: We conducted a mixed-method, multi-level study of low income families of children with special needs and the system which serves them, focusing primarily on child care, employment and balancing  work and family.  This approach included analysis of existing national and state-level data sets, statewide surveys of parents and child care providers and a field study to look at these issues at the local level in three selected communities: Portland, Lewiston/Auburn and Presque Isle.
 

I. Qualitative Research:

Parent Interviews: In our first year, we conducted qualitative research to learn directly from parents about their experiences, through focus groups and in-depth interviews. We focused on families with children with special needs (disabilities and/or chronic health conditions) through age 6 with incomes at or below 225% of the federal poverty level (for 2002, $33,795 for a family of three.)

Field Study in Three Communities:  We are conducting a field study focusing on the child care, TANF/Employment and early intervention/preschool special education systems in three communities in Maine: a rural community (the Presque Isle area), and two small city service centers (Portland and Lewiston/Auburn.) In this aspect of our research we are using interviews to gain a better understanding of the organizational and institutional processes which affect these families. We made site visits and interviewed child care providers, directors of local RDC offices (providing child care resource and referral), ASPIRE caseworkers, caseworkers at multi-barrier agencies under contract with ASPIRE, and specialists such as OT, speech therapists to gain their perspective on the issues raised by parents, to supplement what we learned through our survey research and to address issues which may be unique to how programs and policies are implemented in that particular community. 

 


II. Quantitative Research:

Survey Data:  Statewide, we conducted a telephone survey of 441 families with children with special needs in Maine using client lists from the Child Development Services (CDS) and MaineCare programs. We also conducted a mail-in survey of 179 child care providers to learn about the issues they face and the support they need to care for children with special needs. Survey questions were based on the information we collected from our research with parents in our first year. 

National Survey of America's Families (NSAF):
  We analyzed data from this nationally representative sample of families, including those with special needs, to supplement our findings from our research in Maine.  The focus was on the employment and financial well being of low-income families with children with special needs.  

 

  

 

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We are proud to be funded by the Child Care Bureau of the Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The Child Care Bureau is dedicated to enhancing the quality, affordability, and availability of child care for all families. The Child Care Bureau administers federal funds to states, territories, and tribes to assist low-income families in accessing quality child care for children when the parents work or participate in education or training.
 

Edmund S. Muskie School of Public Service
Cutler Institute for Child and Family Policy
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Last updated: 09/12/08.