This collection of conference proceedings contains the opening speeches, committee reports and resource papers on four topics: promoting the integrity of the family; meeting the minimum needs of the family; the role of self-preservation and promotion of the family; and intervention techniques of social workers in favor of rural and urban families.…

This paper is one of several intended to consider early childhood care and education within the context of Canada's National Children's Agenda. The paper takes the position that a blended, coherent system of early childhood development programs incorporating child care, early childhood education, and family support services should be available in…

The Resource Families project experiments with new ways of meeting information, support, and assistance needs of Italian families with infants and defines new directions and procedures to inform the development of regional social policies in Italy. The project, funded through the Bernard van Leer Foundation and managed by ISPES (Instituto per la…

Offers an overview of the history of the Chilean Education System and shows how many early childhood programs have been developed since the early 1900s. Details employer-provided care programs for children under two. Also discusses the training of those involved in early childhood education. (BB)

Reviews the history of La Cabana kindergarten, which provides preschool education and meals for 100 children and sewing classes for mothers in a working class neighborhood in Bogota, Colombia. Describes the implementation of a new curriculum which develops child creativity through free choice of activities around a common project. (AC)

A study involving 265 Australian parents of children enrolled in preschools found most preferred informal sources of support on child management. Inconsistent management techniques, greater use of punishment, lack of confidence, and a need for help with coping strategies were found in families experiencing more aggressive behaviors in their…

Describes the Support at Home for Early Language and Literacies (SHELLS) project, an early literacy intervention for families of children between birth and age 3 in rural Australia. Findings from monitoring suggest that this collaborative, flexible model has the potential to assist families from a range of social, cultural, economic, and…

Describes development of the Sure Start program in the United Kingdom, focusing on the level of government support, policy development, and implementation. Maintains that the program is a prime example of "joined-up government" and evidence-based policy making. Outlines the program's evaluation strategy, including indicators of success.…

Toronto's highly successful, school-based parenting centers provide poor parents, many of them recent immigrants, with parenting support and education; access to community resource information; information on how to support their young children's learning; and classes in literacy, numeracy, and English as a second language, as needed. (SV)

Parental support has been an increasingly essential part of New Zealand early childhood (EC) education services over the last 20 years. This support has taken many shapes and forms over this time period, and has depended on the differing philosophies of the EC education services. What this support "looks like" and how it is delivered is…

Objective: To obtain preliminary evidence of the feasibility and effectiveness of adjunctive family psychoeducation in adolescent major depressive disorder. Method: Participants were from outpatient clinics in Hamilton and London, Ontario. Over 24 months, 41 adolescents ages 13 through 18 years meeting major depressive disorder criteria were…

This quarterly newsletter issue, in English and French language editions, examines changing perspectives on family and community health, with a specific focus on activities, trends, and research dealing with Canada. Five feature articles include: (1) "New Rules: The Canadian Health Care System in Flux" (Lawrence J. Nestman), which…

This paper is a description and an evaluation of the Families First program in Sydney, Australia. The Families First program was set up to provide innovative family-centered early intervention services to families with young children with disabilities from birth to school age living within the South-Western Metropolitan Health Region. The program…

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…

Designed primarily for World Bank staff and their colleagues in borrowing countries, this paper summarizes why investment in human capital formation through early child development is worthwhile. Chapter 1 introduces the importance of early childhood programs, noting events that have given new visibility to children's issues at the international…