HOLIDAY2003

Q: Are there funding sources other than IDEA that can be used to facilitate the transition of a youth from one placement to another or one program to another?

Answer: Three other federal laws provide resources for transition services: 

(1) Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Act 
(2) The School to Work Education Act 
(3) The Rehabilitation Act (for funding of state initiatives and services)

The advocate (parent, lawyer, CASA, care coordinator, or other representative of the child or youth) should be familiar with these three federal laws.

The Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Act, 20 U.S.C. #2301 et seq., provides funds to states and local school systems for vocational education programs for all students. The Perkins Act provides special rights and protections for students who are members of "special populations," including students who are economically disadvantaged (low income); are educationally disadvantaged (low achieving); have disabilities; have limited English proficiency (LEP); are seeking to participate in programs designed to eliminate sex bias (i.e., students trying to enter a field not traditional for their gender); and are in correctional institutions. 20 U.S.C. #2471(31). School Systems receiving Perkins funds must provide special population students with equal access to the full range of vocational education programs; to recruitment, enrollment, and placement activities; and, to the extent practicable, to comprehensive career guidance and counseling services. 20 U.S.C. 2328(c)(3), 2343 (12)(B), 2471(38). Supplementary services include curriculum modification; equipment modification; classroom modification; supportive personnel; instructional aids and devices; counseling; English language instruction; child care; and special aids. Id.

The School to Work Opportunities Act, 20 U.S.C. #6101 et seq., provides states and local communities with funds to create school-to-work systems that provide all students, including students with disabilities, with the opportunity to participate in programs that integrate school- and work-site mentoring, assistance with placement into both jobs and postsecondary education and training, and linkages to other community services that may be necessary to ensure a successful transition from school to work. 20 U.S.C. #6112 - 6114.

Finally, advocates should be aware of transition-related services to which their clients may be entitled under their state's vocational rehabilitation program. These services, funded in part through the federal Rehabilitation Act, 29, U.S.C. 701 et seq., are geared toward allowing individuals to prepare for and engage in employment. Because adolescents (and adults) who meet eligibility requirements are entitled to services, the state vocational rehabilitation agency is often a critical participant in transition planning and transition service delivery under the IDEA.

The advocate should also know to ask whether a Transition Advisory Committee (TAC), or a similar structure under some other name, acts as the community interagency transition committee or body. If the advocate does not know, the advocate should contact the regional Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) office. The CEC publishes documents on a variety of issues pertaining to children with special needs.

Source: The University of the District of Columbia School of Law Juvenile Law Clinic. Special Education Advocacy: Under the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) for Children in the Juvenile Delinquency System, 1998.