Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Foundation

The Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Foundation is a non-profit foundation founded by Ambassador Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. in 1946 in memory of his son Joseph P. Kennedy Jr.. The foundation was led by his youngest brother, U.S. Senator Edward M. Kennedy, until his death in 2009. The Kennedy Foundation believes that all children, regardless of status, are entitled to appropriate, quality educational services. The Kennedy Foundation works to ensure that policy makers, educators, and family members are aware of the needs of students with disabilities. The percentage of persons 55 years old and over is increasing significantly in the community. To address the issues of this population, the Kennedy Foundation has provided funding for intitiatives related to Aging Issues.The Kennedy Foundation sponsored several demonstration projects which are being replicated throughout the country to meet the needs of persons with intellectual disabilities who are aging. The Kennedy Foundation believes that promoting public policy fostering community integration for individuals with disabilities is a priority. We offer information about how past, current, and pending legislation does and will effect individuals with disabilities, their family members, and others sectors of the community. Discussions about how public policy decisions effect the disaiblity community is an extremly important part of the democratic process. The Kennedy Foundation supports efforts to educate and advocate for the rights of individuals with disabilities in a number of ways.

INTEREST AREAS:

Community-Living
Special Education
Public Policy Work Related to Intellectual Disabilities
Public Awareness and Education
Health and Prevention
Employment
Ethics and Intellectual Disability
International Activities
Prenatal and Postnatal Support
Research
Public Policy Fellowship