Background: Physical activity (PA) is linked to many health benefits. However, many children and adults do not meet PA recommendations. Specifically, Mexican-heritage (MH) families are less physically active and at greater risk for obesity and related co-morbidities than the general population. Culturally-tailored programs are needed to support MH…

For decades, family and consumer sciences (FCS) Extension educators have provided health related education to consumers through Cooperative Extension programming at land grant universities. However, offering diabetes education can be extra challenging due to the complicated nature of the disease and the multi-faceted treatment required. Faced with…

This report provides three case studies illustrating the characteristics and general nature of selected family support programs in socially vulnerable communities. The profile of each program provides in-depth information about how the program operates. Fundamental barriers to program development and service provision are identified, and specific…

Describes the general characteristics of family support programs in North America. Summarizes the rationale for such programs. Describes an example of a support program, the family resource centers in Canada. Outlines such key planning considerations as the diversity of today's families, needs assessment, program variety, and cultural relevance.…

This document provides a historical framework for better understanding the emergence of community-based family support and education (CBFSE) programs, their place within the larger service delivery system, and their potential for meeting the needs of children and families living in poverty. The paper is organized into five sections. The first…

Families First, an early intervention program implemented in Marin City, California, was designed to integrate and coordinate the provision of a wide range of services to families of children in a low-income, mostly African-American community, from the third trimester of pregnancy to 8 years of age. The program is intended to enhance the…

This paper reports on several projects conducted in Georgia over the past 2 years that move the development of respite care services toward the goal of becoming a "cooperative, collaborative, and coordinated" effort. An overview of respite care in Georgia is provided as well as a summary of strategies used to provide such care. Emerging…

Under the Smart Start program, 19 of North Carolina's Appalachian counties have qualified for competitive state funding to improve community services to young children and their families. Programs tailored to local needs provide subsidized child care to children of working parents, preventive health screenings, literacy and high school equivalency…

Describes the Community Systems initiative, a collaborative project underway in Ontario to involve neighborhood residents, broad community networks, government, and nongovernmental organizations in the support of children and families. The initiative's goal is to improve the well-being of children, youth, and their families by finding ways to use…

With its roots in clinical and educational psychology, school psychology is an ever-changing field that encompasses a diversity of topics. "The Oxford Handbook of School Psychology" synthesizes the most vital and relevant literature in all of these areas, producing a state-of-the-art, authoritative resource for practitioners,…

This guide is the second monograph in the "Guidelines for Effective Practice" series commissioned by the Best Practices Project of the Family Resource which meets the need for better definition and articulation of what constitutes best practice in family support programs. This guide describes the definition, key characteristics, and…

This booklet is designed to help individuals address the needs of children and families in their communities. A step-by-step plan of action concerns the processes of getting started, planning for action, raising funds, developing public awareness, and evaluating the program. Discussion is supplemented with general and specific hints. Several model…

Presents results of research to identify and examine community-based, family violence intervention programs in the United States which provide alternatives to incarceration of assaulters. Describes different approaches used by programs and aspects of program development such as staffing, funding, community support, and program evaluation. (MJL)

Nine schools report in this document on the challenges, successes, and lessons they have experienced while setting up Family Centers and bringing health and social services into their schools. These schools are part of a professional network of urban schools begun and facilitated by the Regional Laboratory for Educational Improvement of the…

The use of crisis nursery care as a viable alternative for the consumer experiencing chronic and ongoing family crises calls for consideration of various programmatic and staffing issues. Combinations of family problems, including homelessness, substance abuse, incarceration, family violence, and chronic illness of a family member, may precipitate…