The Health Profession Opportunity Grants (HPOG) Program provided education and occupational training to Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipients and other adults with low incomes. HPOG training is for healthcare occupations that pay well and may experience labor shortages or be in high demand. This report details common themes…

Objectives: To examine the components affecting the quality of the implementation and their impact on the outcomes of the "Growing Up Happily in the Family" program targeted at parents with children aged 0-5. Method: At-risk and non-at-risk parents (N = 196) participated in 26 groups in local social services. Adherence, adaptations,…

Nearly half of the nation's families with young children struggle to make ends meet. A new KIDS COUNT policy report makes the case for creating opportunity for families by addressing the needs of parents and their children simultaneously. "Creating Opportunity for Families: A Two-Generation Approach" describes a new approach to reducing…

This study examined the effects of the Boys Town In-Home Family Program on improving child behavior and parenting skills. The three-month parenting intervention was delivered to parents in their homes. All children were referred to the program by school personnel. Of the 107 families that enrolled in the study, 79% completed the intervention.…

With the tendency of low-income African American and Latino children identified at-risk for school readiness and school success compared to their early-childhood counterparts, Head Start personnel are challenged to examine the role of family strengths in the promotion of academic success for these populations. This article provides a rationale for…

This study investigates the effects of the Family and Child Education (FACE) prekindergarten program on school readiness. The FACE program is located in Bureau of Indian Education-funded schools on some of the most rural American Indian (AI) reservations in the United States. It explicitly integrates the language and culture of the communities in…

This article is a 20-year evaluation of the Parent-Child Home Program (PCHP) of Child and Family Services in Western Manitoba. Following Levenstein's (1979, 1988) approach, home visitors model parent-child interchanges using books and toys to enhance children's cognitive development through appropriate parenting behaviors. The evaluation provides…

Summarizes the beginnings of family support programs for developmentally disabled children and their families; their present workings; and the direction they should be going. (BB)

Dramatic increases in single parenthood and the number of employed mothers have led to the articulation of policies and programs designed to strengthen the family in Ireland. This report examines the experience of Community Mothers' Programme in Limerick City. Based on the assumption that the understanding, advice, and support of an experienced…

This paper describes the Family Development Project which is aimed at developing a systematic model of parenting support for new families and evaluating its effects on family development. The project focuses on Parenting Groups consisting of 6 to 10 couples who meet together as soon after delivery as possible, weekly for 6 weeks, and monthly for 4…

The Positive Parenting Project, developed by Scotland's Save the Children, has worked with children and families for 3 years to identify and develop structures to meet their needs for parenting support. The project, which works in collaboration with local organizations, consults widely with parents, young people, agencies, and organizations in…

This journal issue examines the four key areas for major policy action identified by the Carnegie Task Force in its report, Starting Points: Meeting the Needs of Our Youngest Children. The four areas of policy recommendation are: (1) promoting responsible parenthood, concerned with preventing adolescent pregnancies and unwanted births, teaching…

Early childhood development is increasingly viewed as an affirmation of children's rights. This report describes the concept of early childhood development and presents several viewpoints regarding early childhood care and development, parenting, and approaches to early education. The report also presents 10 case studies of programs to enhance the…

Described are aspects of the Avance Educational Programs for Parents and Children, a non-profit, community-based organization in San Antonio, Texas, with the general goal of strengthening and supporting low income Hispanic families. Introductory remarks focus on the organization's goals, target population, funding, and services. Subsequent to a…

A crucial question for evaluating nationally or internationally implemented programs is whether local adaptations detract from program quality and effectiveness. An evaluation examined the program successes and challenges encountered in the first 5 years of Home-Start in the Netherlands, a home-based family support program for families with young…