To learn more about the experiences of families during the pandemic, and in particular their experience with additional support for child care, the Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP) interviewed families and experts in four states, and conducted a survey of 1,900 families across the country. CSSP's research efforts were designed to reach…

The Coalition for Community Schools (Coalition), as an alliance of national, state and local partners that advocate for community schools, wanted to provide support and a space for community school leaders to share their challenges and successes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Beginning March 17, 2020 through the present, the Coalition conducted…

This resource was prepared for an Early Learning Challenge (ELC) State in response to a request for information about initiatives to improve the quality of child care and early education provided by family, friends, and neighbors in the 20 RTT-ELC States. This information will be helpful to other States as they consider how to continue to increase…

America is ramping up efforts to improve outcomes for students experiencing homelessness. In addition to increased awareness of the problem, groundbreaking legislation and policies at all levels, public and private support organizations, local communities, and states are undertaking a variety of efforts to boost outcomes for some of the country's…

Early Learning Neighborhood Collaborative (ELNC) began as a year-long initiative to support early learning for very young children and families. The program has grown into a self-sustaining, nonprofit, place-based organization committed to improving the lives of children and families in the underresourced neighborhoods of Grand Rapids, MI.…

An increased level of collaboration is often a specific requirement for groups and agencies involved in complementary grant program activities. This ensures that programs with a common funding source are as efficient and effective as possible in areas where their missions converge. In this report, the authors highlight collaborative activities…

Collaboration between university researchers and community agencies offers the opportunity to pilot innovative, evidence-informed interventions. Partnerships of this nature also present unique ethical dilemmas to community agencies, particularly regarding research and agency policies, navigating privacy protections, adequate and consistent…

Western Michigan University is building an innovative program to make welcome those students who were raised in foster care and to help them earn their diplomas without having to shoplift or trespass over the holidays. Many of the students have comfortable apartments on the campus, and a hall was kept open over the holiday break for dorm residents…

Making Connections was the Annie E. Casey Foundation's signature place-based, community-change initiative of the 2000s. It sought to build on previous work and launch an effort focused firmly on the framework of family strengthening. The Foundation started Making Connections in 22 places, focusing eventually on first 10, then seven sites. It…

The history, philosophy, and importance of family support programs to enhance caregiving capacities of families with disabled children are recounted. Information from a survey of state family support programs is summarized, and successful aspects of Michigan's support subsidy are described. (CL)

This article summarizes state and community policy activities during the final six months of 2006 and provides updates of the progress to serve infants, toddlers, and their families. The following states are included in the report: (1) Rhode Island; (2) Virginia; (3) New York; (4) Pennsylvania; (5) Nebraska; (6) Ohio; (7) Washington; (8) Arizona;…

This report highlights the North Central Regional Educational Laboratory (NCREL) states' efforts in integrated services and provides commentaries by experts on their experiences in the field. Steven Preister's "Overview" from Report No. 1 serves as the framework for the report, describing NCREL states' current and future agendas,…

This report describes the recent efforts of Michigan's Division of Services to Crippled Children (DSCC) to assist families with handicapped children to develop their full potential for health, education, and self-support through the removal of physical, social, psychological, and economic barriers. DSCC functions are carried out at the local,…

"Childhood Programs and Practices in the First Decade of Life" presents research findings on the effects of early childhood programs and practices in the first decade of life and their implications for policy development and reform. Leading scholars in the multidisciplinary field of human development and in early childhood learning…

In 1989, Boysville of Michigan received funding to design and implement a family reunification program that could be disseminated statewide and nationally for replication. The site for the pilot project was Detroit (Michigan) and surrounding communities, an economically depressed, urban area. The Homebuilders Model, which emphasizes children's…