A study used data on African American children in foster care collected by the National Black Child Development Institute (NBCDI) to compare whether there are differences in the characteristics, needs, services, and outcomes for children depending on whether or not parental drug abuse was a contributing factor in their foster care placements. The…

Critically examines several perspectives from which the underclass is viewed and identifies policy prescriptions related to them. Conflicting perspectives correspond to assumptions about human nature characterized by Thomas Sowell as "constrained" and "unconstrained." Argues for an expanded federal role in helping the poor through employment…

Discusses areas of disagreement between the Institute of Medicine's report, "Homelessness, Health and Human Needs," and the controversial supplementary statement, "Health Care for the Homeless," issued separately by 10 of the authors. (FMW)

Discusses the development of social policy since 1901, with special emphasis on the War on Poverty. Analyzes the relationships among poverty, social norms, and family structure. Outlines the problems of the new social condition, characterized by drug abuse and welfare dependency. (FMW)

Responding to a rise in hate crimes directed toward persons of Arab descent and Muslims before and during the Gulf War, the Los Angeles County (California) Commission on Human Relations held a hearing. The commission heard presentations by representatives of the Arab and Muslim communities, law enforcement, schools, and social science, and…

This supplementary statement, prepared by 10 members of the Institute of Medicine's Committee on Health Care for the Homeless, expands upon the Committee's report, "Homelessness, Health and Human Needs." Argues that the only broad, long-term solution to the health problems of the homeless is immediate action to provide decent, affordable…

The Kids Count project is an effort to track the status of children in the United States on a state-by-state basis. The benchmark figures presented give policymakers a clearer picture of the educational, social, economic, and physical well-being of children. High rates of child poverty and births to single teens continue in the United States, and…

This document addresses the difficulties of urban education, particularly relating to inner cities that contain immigrant and minority students, and argues that schools contribute to the problems of today's urban youth and that schools must do a better job of educating students. It recognizes that schools are burdened by the urban environment but…

Homeless children confront abject poverty and experience a constellation of risks that are having a devastating impact on their well-being. This paper reviews research linking homelessness among children to hunger and poor nutrition, health problems and lack of health and mental health care, developmental delays, psychological problems, and…

A policy forum featured a presentation by Linda Chavez on the public policy needs of the Puerto Rican community. The forum also included a panel of experts from the Puerto Rican community to provide critical feedback on Chavez's presentation. Chavez argued that Hispanic Americans can move into the mainstream of United States society, and that…

An in-depth discussion of national and local statistics regarding teenage and adolescent pregnancy and the developmental issues involved opens this analysis. Problems and adverse consequences of adolescent pregnancy in an urban setting are explored using a city-wide random sample of adolescent births. A model pregnancy and parenting program and…

A study of community college funding in Maryland found that the Community College of Baltimore (CCB) faces unique educational circumstances warranting additional state aid. These circumstances largely result from the special needs of Baltimore City, which has a disproportionate concentration of the state's poor and dependent citizens, the greatest…

This report is a publication of the Hispanic Community Mobilization for Dropout Prevention (HCMDP) project, a two-year demonstration program of the ASPIRA Association, Inc. Institute for Policy Research. The project's goals are to create Hispanic community awareness of the Hispanic students' educational problems, and to provide Hispanic parents…

Reported are the results of a survey of 603 southern, urban Blacks regarding their attitudes concerning environmental issues. These results were compared with earlier studies of Whites and it was found that Blacks exhibited a similar level of concern. (Author/CW)

Argues that the problems of underclass neighborhoods are essentially crime problems, not connected with neoconservative theories about the "culture of poverty" or liberal theories about social and economic change. Cites examples of communities that have developed successful anti-crime programs. (FMW)