Many go to schools where they do not learn. Schools were never set up to offer the amount of indi-vidual attention, caregiving services, and treatments currently required. Early intervention is a must, and school is the place where most children, even preschool children, can be reached along with their parents. At least 40 different kinds of personnel work in today's restructured schools, ranging from nurse practitioners, substance abuse counselors, volunteer senior citizens, case managers, and community police, to clergy. These people usually are not paid by school systems but by health, mental health, and social services agencies, youth and employment agencies, mayors' offices, labor unions, or universities.
Funds come from state and federal sources, foundation grants, and local contributions.
Introducing health and social services into schools is only one aspect of the full service schools concept. Teachers in these schools are trained to pay attention to individual differences, organize stimulating and relevant curricula, abolish tracking, and encourage parent participation. Their new partners handle the primary health, mental health, and social needs of the people in the school community. Preliminary evaluation results are promising. They show improved school attendance and upgraded student health status.