The nation's child protection system (CPS) has historically focused on preventing maltreatment in high-risk families, whose children have already been maltreated. But, as Jane Waldfogel explains, it has also begun developing prevention procedures for children at lower risk--those who are referred to CPS but whose cases do not meet the criteria for…

"Food insecurity," which is the lack of access to enough food to fully meet basic needs at all times because of economic constraints, afflicts 40.6% of low-income households with children. Research shows that living in a food-insecure household can lead to negative health and developmental consequences for young children, including obesity.…

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is a federally funded preventive health and nutrition program administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture through state and local agencies and provides services to nutritionally at risk low-income pregnant women, postpartum women, infants, and children up to…

Seldom do the needs of children with disabilities divide neatly along program lines. Instead, children and their families navigate a large, complex, and fragmented array of programs with inconsistent eligibility standards, application procedures, and program goals. "Meeting the Needs of Children with Disabilities" examines these programs, focusing…

The Center for Studies of Child and Family Mental Health has made an assessment of national programs during the last decade, and found that the Nation took the course of child-centered intervention programs for mental health. There were many startling and promising programs developed during that time such as Head Start. However, many of the…

This paper provides 1- to 6-page fact sheets on 15 programs administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Administration for Children and Families. Each fact sheet provides information on program services and funding. The fact sheets cover the following programs: Youth Gang Drug Prevention, Refugee Assistance, Runaway and…

This serial "double issue" focuses on protecting children and supporting families through greater collaboration between child welfare services and family resource programs. The issue includes the featured articles: (1) "Making the Media a Constructive Force in Child Welfare" (Kathy Bonk), which discusses how the media and child welfare agencies…