In 1989, the state of Colorado participated in a policy academy on families and children at risk. The intent of the policy academy was to enable states to develop a strategic plan for families and children that would be family focused with an emphasis on family self-sufficiency, and to begin to create a service delivery system integrated across…

Service learning has been found to be a potentially powerful dropout prevention tool. Service learning combines community service with learning activities. Participating students must be engaged in significant, well-planned, and genuine service. Second, they must reflect on their experiences of serving others to ensure a complete learning…

This report provides a comprehensive portrait of America's most vulnerable children and families, gathered as a quick reference to national and state data on the U.S. child welfare system. Data were derived from the Child Welfare League of America's 1996 State Survey of Child Welfare and from U.S. Government agencies and other national sources.…

Adolescents at high risk for not making a successful transition into adulthood may become school dropouts, abuse drugs and other substances, exhibit poor problem-solving skills, and display a wide variety of nonproductive or destructive behaviors. An after-school program, Youth 2000 Visions, was designed to assist local adolescents in addressing…

Adolescents have no prepared, appreciated, approved place in society, so they tackle identity formation and development of self-worth and self-efficacy on their own. Society must change its view that youth are troubled or harmful and instead provide opportunities for meaningful roles for adolescents, particularly those without many years of formal…

This annual report from the Statewide Anti-Drug Abuse Council of New York proposes strategies for the coming year. Ongoing support for the state and local law enforcement efforts is reaffirmed as a vital component of the strategy. The council promotes a strengthening of their commitment and focus on severely impacted populations, integration of…

Presents rationale and a model for doctoral program designed to address growing social concern about at-risk individuals. Defines at-risk population as consisting of children or adults with high prediction rates for later poverty, underemployment or unemployment, institutionalization, and/or early illness and death. Describes prototype doctoral…

Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is a potent and a present danger for teenagers, casting a dark shadow over their lives now and in the future. A small, but significant, number of teenagers will develop Human Immune Virus (HIV)-related illness before they turn 20; a far greater number will become infected with the virus during…

The key to developmentally appropriate practices is to let a child construct his or her own knowledge through interactions with the social and physical environment. Because the child is viewed as intrinsically motivated and self-directed, effective teaching capitalizes on the child's motivation to explore, experiment, and to make sense of his or…

The high prevalence of alcohol and substance abuse by adolescents poses a significant threat to the wellness of youth. Adolescents appear to use drugs for a variety of reasons. In addition to the multiple etiologic and risk factors present for substance abuse, there are many pathways teenagers may follow on their way to substance abuse. The…

This report examines the potential impact of federal welfare legislation, Public Law 104-193, The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act, on vulnerable families already in or at risk of entering the child welfare/child protection systems. The report includes an overview of the challenges states face; questions for state…

This technical report examines legal and policy issues affecting agencies offering alcohol and other drug prevention and treatment services to youth. Specific issues covered include: (1) whether such agencies must comply with federal laws and regulations governing confidentiality of patient records, and, if they must comply, how they must do so;…

Why, despite society's common understanding of the problems of children, have individuals failed to act decisively and powerfully to bring them security and hope? This report, which includes articles excerpted and adapted from presentations and discussions at a 1996 symposium, addresses this question. After an introduction by Rosalynn Carter, the…