The history and current problems of adoption services provided by the state of New York are discussed. First, statutory reforms since the creation in 1968 of the nation's first statewide adoption subsidy program are reviewed and adoption services aimed at providing permanent homes for children in foster care are described. Subsequently, the…

An overview is presented of select research performed under a project entitled "Education, Delinquency Prevention, and the Search for Youth Policy: An Historical Inquiry." This overview contains two discrete essays that synthesize the main findings of seven key writers in the field of juvenile delinquency between 1900 and 1930 and…

This process evaluation of the Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Project describes the efforts of the project director and 10 regional liaisons to develop a statewide philosophy on prevention and an operational plan for directing resources in Texas toward primary and secondary prevention of child abuse and neglect. A survey was used to gather…

Since the passage of the Family Support Act in 1988, states have been pursuing a variety of experiments in welfare policy innovation. This document summarizes state welfare waiver requests reviewed and approved by the Department of Health and Human Services as of September 1995. Included in the document is a list of definitions of waiver provision…

This background briefing paper synthesizes current thinking and practice on the issue of latchkey children and school-age child care (SACC). The paper defines the problem of latchkey children; reviews related literature and programmatic responses to the problem; reports responses of four southern states; and points out implications for policy…

This policy brief reports on the status of state policies and programs that relate to integrating community services for children and families. Problems with the current service delivery system are discussed, and guidelines for creating a profamily system through effective collaboration are outlined. Information from a questionnaire on early…

Media reports suggest widespread illiteracy among adults who may not be able to read, write, speak, or otherwise communicate competently enough to meet the demands of modern society. No consensus has been reached regarding a definition of illiteracy or supporting statistics. Estimates of adult illiteracy range form 0.5% to 50%, meaning that of the…

This booklet on youth employment explores what States can do and are doing to expand employment opportunities and prepare youth for work. The solutions presented cut across the traditional lines separating education policy from employment and training policy. Coordinated action needed in both areas are identified, and an overview of problems,…

This paper describes two Department of Education reports on gifted education--1972's Marland Report and 1993's "National Excellence: A Case for Developing America's Talent." It relates report findings to findings from a survey of states' policies. The paper calls for states to design programs that nurture talent potential of all students…

This Policy Research Brief summarizes longitudinal national statistics on the number and characteristics of persons with mental retardation and related conditions living in state institutions, their movement into and out of those institutions, the costs of state institutions, and the growing numbers of closures of these institutions. Findings are…

Examines current reforms in early childhood education, and the nature and scope of changes in the care and education of children since the 1960s. Emphasizes the need for: (1) coherent child and family policy in the United States; (2) appropriate curricula for children of different ages; (3) establishment of a federal office of early childhood…

The Project on State-Level Child Outcomes was initiated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to examine the effects on children of waiver policies related to state welfare reform efforts prior to the passage of federal welfare reform legislation. This report details the project's examination of child well-being in the context of…

This article describes data requirements in Public Law 99-457; discusses issues confronting states as they develop data systems, such as the problems of comprehensiveness, incompatibility, and confidentiality; examines data on numbers of infants and toddlers receiving early intervention services; and explores applications of a national database on…

Discusses using social-work educational methods to organize the New York Rural Human Services Coalition, when public policy is increasingly urban oriented. Describes historical framework and state institutional structure of services. Describes organization to secure rural perspectives in human-services delivery. Describes community organization…

This background paper on institutional lending examines institutional lender policy in the Stafford Student Loan Program, the study of which was mandated in the 1986 reauthorization of the Higher Education Act. The paper's particular purpose, however, is to familiarize the reader with the general operation of programs and the historical…