Almost one third of all children in the United States are born to unmarried parents. This figure is even higher among poor and minority populations. Because of their heightened risk for economic and social problems and family dissolution, disadvantaged, unmarried parents have been called "fragile families." In 2002 the Bush administration…

Problems of the family affect every individual. Problems have an impact on a variety of different social groups and strata, work collectives and neighborhood communities, young people, adults, children, the aged, and so on. The family's sense of well-being and the processes that affect its functioning can also hardly fail to be of concern to…

In this article, the authors comment on the contribution of the Alcohol, Drugs and the Family research group to draw public and scientific attention to the suffering and needs of families coping with addiction problems. The article also describes the impact of the stress-strain-coping-support model and the 5-Step Method on the research,…

In the city's target program to implement the national project "Accessible and Comfortable Housing for the Citizens of Russia," in Cheliabinsk a great deal of attention is being focused on supplying young families with housing. The financing of the program for 2006 to 2010 comes to 17,884,000 rubles, provided from city, oblast, and…

The authors identify a "crisis in caring" that calls for a reassessment and realignment of both formal and informal systems of family support. A spectrum of helping relationships is introduced as a stimulus to discussion out of which a commitment to the creation of patterns of societal organization supportive of family relationships can evolve.…

This publication provides chapter-by-chapter synopses of the 1981 report of the Danish Child Welfare Commission. Chapter 1 contains the Commission's introductory remarks on its terms of reference and emphasizes that parents have primary responsibility for the raising of their children. Chapter 2 provides a documentary account of the living…

Uses the pyramid-of-services model to organize the complexity of child day care systems and to delineate their place in the framework of family preservation and support services. Argues that the family focus of family preservation and family support can utilize the unique elements of child day care as a vehicle for family empowerment. (MDM)

SafePort is a residential substance abuse treatment program within public housing to provide drug treatment to parenting women in Key West, Florida. All family members--women, children, and significant others--receive comprehensive assessments to determine appropriate therapeutic interventions. Preliminary evaluation findings suggest that women…

This report presents an evaluation of the Intensive Services Project in Lincoln and McCook, Nebraska, which was designed to demonstrate that caseworkers with smaller child protective caseloads could offer more effective home-based services. The background of the project is described focusing on staffing and service setting. Service principles and…

Presents follow-up data on 29 youths and their families served by the Court Related Youth Services, which combines placement of problem youths in short-term foster homes with outreach efforts to engage families in family counseling. Results demonstrate positive feedback by parents and a reduction in the number of youths needing institutional…

Describes the development, implementation, and replication of a group-based parenting program for families affected by substance abuse, called the Nurturing Program for Families in Substance Abuse Treatment and Recovery in Massachusetts. Highlights early evaluation results showing that the program improves parenting and enhances parents'…

This paper presents results from interviews with 48 New York families of children with severe disabilities or chronic illnesses who were served by Sick Kids (need) Involved People (SKIP) of New York, Incorporated, a case management and advocacy service. The report is divided into sections on the families and their children, daily routine,…

The site visit report describes the Family Support Services program run by the Calvert County (Maryland) Association for Retarded Citizens. The program's goal is to prevent any person 21 years of age or younger from being institutionalized. It provides respite care services, specialized family support, and integrated day care for approximately 50…

This paper presents the evaluation of the Family Stress Program, which was designed to deliver human services and save valuable police time through intervention in police calls involving individuals and families in crisis. A brief description of the program's structure, purpose, and development, and a listing of program goals (preventing the…

This book reports a study of the outcomes of home-based family preservation services for abusive and neglectful families in Los Angeles County. Using the Family Assessment Form, the research project evaluated services provided by two voluntary agencies, and focused on changes in family functioning between the opening and closing of services during…