Examined the impact of individual environmental and biological risks on the home environment of three-year olds in a sample of low birth weight, premature infants. Suggests that compared to nonpoor families, poor families experienced more multiple risk factors. Poverty clearly had a negative effect on the provision of learning experiences,…

This introductory article provides an overview of the national evaluation conducted within the original 22 grantee communities funded from 1993 to 1999. The history and underlying foundations of the evaluation are presented. Specific evaluation questions and components are outlined, and issues that evolved out of the evaluation process are…

Notes the accomplishments and deficiencies of Head Start programs as society, and the landscape of social services, have changed since the program's inception. Presents recommendations for programs in the future, including that Head Start expands the number of children served and the scope of services provided and that it forges partnerships with…

This publication is intended to help ensure full and prompt implementation of the improvements in the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act for children being raised by grandparents and other relatives. It was prepared by 18 organizations, many of whom have been working individually and together for a number of years 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…

This quarterly newsletter issue discusses the upcoming United Nations-sponsored International Year of the Family (IYF), with a specific focus on activities, trends, and research dealing with Canada. Four feature articles examine: (1) the work of the Canada Committee for the IYF, including activities and publications sponsored by the committee and…

This guide describes a variety of resources that serve young children and their families affected by substance use. It was created to assist state and local program personnel and others to access resources that can assist them in developing comprehensive services for young children and their families who have been affected by alcohol and other…

In recent years, government has recognized that programs like Head Start are cost-effective investments that improve the school readiness of disadvantaged children. Over the last decade, states have been leaders in supporting services to infants and toddlers and their families. Examples of such initiatives include Hawaii's Healthy Start program,…

Designed to help political leaders plan and organize a systematic set of government initiatives and policies to improve the quality of life for American families, this document provides a blueprint for mounting a comprehensive effort in support of America's children and their families. The document begins by outlining the need for a national plan,…

This executive summary crystallizes the main themes of a study that is intended to help policymakers, advocates, community members, and welfare administrators create a welfare system to do more for children and do it better. The study was prompted by the Family Support Act of 1988. The following programs that have been successful in providing…

This evaluation report is the third in a series of reports that are part of a 4-year national effort designed to describe the types of Even Start projects that have been funded, the services provided, the collaboration efforts undertaken, and the obstacles to program implementation that have been encountered. The current report provides…

This study analyzes major federal programs designed to provide services to children, from birth through age 2, who have developmental delays or a high probability of developmental delays, and their families. Programs were selected based on their provision of education or health-related services to infants and toddlers with handicaps and their…

This manual is intended to accompany technical assistance efforts aimed at improving selected states' home health care programs for children with chronic illness and severe disability. Summary descriptions of funding sources are presented, including purpose, eligibility guidelines, and services covered, as well as additional information as…

The objective of the Family Support Services Scheme is to find new ways to prevent the breakdown of families and the institutionalization of children. The view taken in this report is that not much progress has been made toward achieving this goal. Criticisms of and recommendations for the scheme include the following: (1) The program attempts to…

A study was conducted to determine if the pre-center incomes/salaries could predict the post-center salaries of participants in the Mountain-Plains program, a residential, family-based education program developed to improve the economic potential and lifestyle of selected student families in a six-state area. By using the reported family income…