Examines the concept and application of prevention programs in the child welfare services, and provides a framework for child welfare services based on the public health model of prevention, which focuses on helping program administrators identify and plan services and programs for target populations at different stages in their development. (CM)

Describes a needs assessment model which can be used by grass-roots organizations to collect socioeconomic and demographic data in Hispanic and other ethnic-minority communities. (CM)

Suggests a decision-making model based on case-management procedures for permanency planning in foster care. Permanency planning is offered as an alternative to counter the drift of children in foster care. (CM)

Due to a shift in clientele from Whites to Blacks, many voluntary child welfare agencies have begun to alter agency structure, orientation, and practices. Community outreach, board roles, and staff roles are discussed. (Author/DB)

Traces the history of self-help in the African American community, with emphasis on services and programs for children. Claims that the traditions of self-help are very much alive in the African American community, and are manifest in a range of activities. Illustrates contemporary models of self-help from the example of one adoption agency. (MOK)

Describes Maryland's extensive network of day care centers for severely mentally retarded children. Specific characteristics, stipulated for all the programs, are reviewed. (Author/AJ)

Presents findings of a World Rehabilitation Fund Fellowship study on the intersection of child abuse, family support, and disability in England. These findings are then compared to the American picture in this arena. Implications for new directions are delineated. (Author/BB)

Needs assessments require staff with the necessary expertise to design the study, collect the data, analyze the data, and present results. They require money, time, and persistence, because the people one wishes to assess often are difficult to access. This article argues for the centrality of a well-done needs assessment when developing services…

Discusses historic significance of kinship care in preserving African American families, development of kinship care and family preservation programs, and importance of the natural relationship between the two. Presents findings on states' use of kinship care in plans for the Family Preservation and Support Services Act, and explores whether they…