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More about the project... 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: 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.
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Edmund S. Muskie
School of Public Service
All content Copyright©2002-2004, The Edmund S. Muskie School
of Public Service
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