Research Findings: Marginal food security is less studied relative to food insecurity but may also have adverse effects on family outcomes. The present study examined whether parental stress mediated the relationship between marginal food security (MFS) and preschool-aged children's observed self-regulation at three early education centers located…

The impacts of violence for young children and their caregivers are multidimensional. The story of 2-year-old Tyronne, his mother, Josephine, and his father, James, illustrates the use of a relationship-focused treatment, child-parent psychotherapy (CPP), in addressing the traumatic consequences of exposure to violence. This family's story…

Family reunification is not always possible for children who have been removed from the care of their biological parents because of abuse or neglect. Concurrent planning puts into place a secondary plan for a permanent home should family reunification prove to be impossible. Working in four diverse communities around the country in an innovative…

This report outlines state legislative initiatives to develop family-based child welfare public policy. Emphasis is placed on legislation to ensure that "reasonable efforts" are made to reduce the need for out-of-home placement of children. Also included is an update of state implementation of permanency planning initiatives related to agency…

The family adventure program merges traditional family therapy and adventure therapy to provide a more effective therapeutic process for the troubled adolescent. Family adventure programming is based on the assumption that the family has the skills and resources for positive change and growth. The stressful nature of adventure activities removes…

Reported parent-child problems within the home are often composed of numerous instances in which the children refuse to help with household chores, bicker among themselves or engage in verbally inappropriate behavior toward the parents. Traditional family therapy, even when long-term, has not been notably successful in ameliorating these problems.…

Developed over a two-and-a-half-year period at Des Moines Family Learning Center, this series of 30-week workshops allows parents to share problems and advice, becoming familiar with the ways in which other parents handle family situations. The series is divided into the following three sections: self-esteem, misbehavior, and emotions; creativity,…

Home based family centered (HBFC) service programs have been developed as alternatives to out-of-home placement. These programs have reported relatively high service success rates at costs signficantly lower than foster home and institutional care while, at the same time, avoiding the social and psychological risks of out-of-home placement.…

Although fundamental in helping multiproblem families avoid placement, social support is a complex construct not easy to define and difficult to carry out conceptually and practically. Four family support programs are described that illustrate certain common denominators for implementation. (Author/RWB)

Family based services attempt to maintain and strengthen the client family and prevent family dissolution and the placement of a child or several children in substitute care. This study compared programs that serve children and their families in their home. Variances in program costs were attributed to differences in number of casework hours per…

This book reports a study of the outcomes of home-based family preservation services for abusive and neglectful families in Los Angeles County. Using the Family Assessment Form, the research project evaluated services provided by two voluntary agencies, and focused on changes in family functioning between the opening and closing of services during…

Family sexual abuse is now being recognized as a reality that requires professional intervention. This manual covers the entire intervention process from case identification and reporting of suspected abuse, through the investigation and treatment phases. The central focus is on the abused child and the victim's need for protection. Among the…

Child abuse and neglect is a problem of concern to local communities, state legislatures, state agencies and the federal government. In providing protective services, welfare departments encounter legal aspects concerning law enforcement officials, attorneys and the judicial system. This manual can provide practical guidance to those who are…

This article proposes and discusses three guiding questions that can help counselors conceptualize and differentiate family therapy with gifted and talented adolescents. The questions address the identification of the problem, deciding who is going to participate in the counseling, and deciding what approach to family therapy will be most…

This guideline summarizes state-of-the-art approaches and interventions designed to strengthen the role of families in substance abuse prevention. Topics discussed are: (1) "Why Use Family-Centered Approaches? Aren't Our School and Community Efforts Sufficient?"; (2) "How Big a Problem Is Substance Abuse Among Youth?"; (3)…