This six-part guide offers practical advice for the establishment and management of a family-support program, including discussions about typical problems and the ways practitioners have chosen to resolve them. This volume, Part 1, defines collaboration and draws distinctions among different collaborative stages. Topics explored include collaborative mechanisms, planning collaborations, overcoming early pitfalls, and challenges of the process. Parts 2 and 3 list common ways to implement collaboration and discuss the planning process and planning tasks. Part 4 describes and discusses strategies to overcome some common pitfalls of the process. Part 5 raises broader questions about collaboration as a long-term strategy for the reform of the system of family-support and education services. The guide concludes with a list of resources for further reading and information. (Contains 26 references.) (GLR)