Parents play a vital role in influencing their children's outdoor recreation participation. Families can enjoy nature and stay active in state parks, which provide abundant opportunities for outdoor recreation and education. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between parents' experiences with, and attitudes toward, outdoor…

Youth who receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits experience disparate educational, employment, and economic outcomes when compared to youth with disabilities who do not receive these entitlements. Promoting the Readiness of Minors in Supplemental Security Income (PROMISE) was a 6-year national research demonstration project that…

Purpose: Bivariate and logistics regression analyses were conducted to examine the effectiveness of child welfare agencies' Family Group Decision-Making (FGDM) practices focused on strengthening families and positive outcomes for children. This study evaluates one mid-Atlantic state's implementation of a FGDM called family involvement meetings…

This exploratory study investigated the use of concepts related to families, parents, and the home in 51 state-level early learning and development standards documents. Guidelines from six national family involvement, engagement, and school-partnership models were used to create the Family Involvement Models Analysis Chart (FIMAC), which served as…

Comprehensive School Physical Activity Programs (CSPAPs) have been identified as an intervention toward improving physical activity opportunities for youth throughout the school day. One of the five elements of a CSPAP is afterschool programming. This paper translates the varied research about youth engagement in physical activity into a…

State coordinators of early hearing detection and intervention (EHDI) programs completed a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, or SWOT, analysis that examined 12 areas within state EHDI programs. For the family support area, 47 EHDI coordinators listed 255 items, and themes were identified within each category. A threats,…

Considers the need for family literacy programs and library involvement in such programs. National organizations and local library programs devoted to family literacy are described, and the California State Library's Families for Literacy Program, which provides funding for local library family literacy programs, is discussed. (MES)

We evaluate the effects of state policy design features on SCHIP take-up rates and on the degree to which SCHIP benefits crowd out private benefits. The results indicate overall program take-up rates of approximately 10 percent. However, there is considerable heterogeneity across states, suggesting a potential role of inter-state variation in…

The author describes Minnesota's Early Childhood Family Education program for all children from birth to kindergarten and their parents. Topics include the types of activities each local program undertakes, administration and planning, and financing. A list of important program attributes is included. (CH)

Described are the provisions of U.S. Public Law 99-457 (Education of the Handicapped Act Amendments, 1986), which authorizes early intervention services for handicapped infants, toddlers, and preschoolers and their families. Specific components of the law are detailed, followed by implications for families, service providers, and early childhood…

This article describes the history of New York's efforts to create partnerships with families with children with emotional disturbances, articulates the stages of parent involvement in policymaking, and summarizes lessons learned and recommendations for effective and enduring families as policy allies. A case study is presented. (Contains…

Interviews were conducted with 60 human-services-agency staff of the Child and Adolescent Service System Program in California and 67 parents of children with serious emotional disturbance regarding changes over the previous four years in their local children's service systems. Results indicate increased interagency collaboration and family…

This study provides information about prevention and control practices in intervention and comparison secondary schools 2 years after the start-up of the Texas Tobacco Prevention Initiative. The intervention, which was funded through the Texas Department of State Health Services, consisted of guidance, training, technical assistance, and…

The author presents several factors which pertain to state involvement in family life. Among these factors are social diversity, social agency usurpation of family roles, the need for parent and family involvement in child rearing, conducting needs assessment, conducting hearings prior to policy decisions, and making social services relevant. (DB)

Vermont's I-Team has provided technical assistance and training to educational team members serving children with disabilities for 25 years. Characteristics of sustainable human services programs include flexibility, collaborative consultation, consideration and inclusion of families and communities, competent management, on-going training for all…