The Family Resource Coalition of America (FRCA) and the National Resource Center for Family Centered Practice convened a meeting of evaluators, policymakers, and program practitioners to discuss the issue of evaluation in the field of family support. The goal was to bring together those who were implementing programs, evaluating programs, and…

The Phoenix, Arizona Early Head Start program is a family-centered program providing early, continuous, intensive, and comprehensive child development and family support services for low-income pregnant women and families with children ages birth to three. Analyses were conducted of program and participant data and program processes from Year 3,…

Describes four successful public library programs for families and gives suggestions for planning programs and measuring their success. (LLS)

The upcoming Congressional reauthorization of the Early Head Start program provides an opportunity to focus on what can be done to achieve even greater impacts for infants, toddlers, and families in Early Head Start. In this policy brief, the Zero to Three Policy Center presents its recommendations for Congressional action and discusses scientific…

Family support programs have proliferated in many different settings in response to an increasing emphasis in the public policy arena on a family support strategy. These guidelines for effective family support practice represent the consensus of family support practitioners as assessed in focus groups with over 2,000 staff and parent participants.…

The Even Start Family Literacy Program is intended to help break the cycle of poverty and illiteracy by improving the educational opportunities available to low-income families with limited educational experiences. Based on state and national evaluations, this report for policy makers and practitioners summarizes what has been learned about the…

Preliminary data are reported on the impact of the national Parent-Child Center Program (PCC), related to what is termed an immediate criterion of impact. The information summarizes numbers of families served and types of services provided, without evaluative interpretation. Introductory remarks give information on the purpose of the report,…

Significant evaluation findings for a respite care program include the following: (1) training sessions enhanced workers' knowledge of disabilities, (2) families with recently disabled children received more benefits from respite services than families with long-term disabled children, (3) services provided parents emotional relief, and (4)…

In compliance with California's Proposition 10 (Children and Families First Act), county commissions are being asked to monitor what differences the family support programs they are funding are making in the lives of the children and families they serve. Each commission has the responsibility of selecting a set of indicators to measure the impact…

This guide outlines 10 basic steps for policymakers and practitioners interested in creating Second Chance Homes in their areas. Second Chance Homes provide stable, nurturing environments for teen families with access to child care, education, job training, counseling, and advice on parenting and life skills. The guide is based on interviews with…

Describes 5 levels of parent involvement in schools (audience, teacher of the child, volunteer, trained worker, and participant in decision making), with details of a follow through program that tries to involve parents at all levels. (Author/SP)

Raising a child with disabilities impacts the ability of parents to participate in life situations. This paper describes the development of a new instrument, Life Participation for Parents, to measure outcomes of pediatric therapy on parental participation. Items were reviewed by six occupational therapists with experience in pediatrics and…

The Phoenix, Arizona, Early Head Start (EHS) program is for first-time teen parents and their families. The end of 1999-2000 marked the fifth and final year of a research and demonstration grant for EHS and concluded the fourth full year of program implementation. This report provides a five-year perspective on program process and outcomes for…

The Annie E. Casey Foundation's fourth conference occurred as the Foundation launched a new neighborhood transformation and family development strategy centered on strengthening families. This conference summary presents discussions of the major themes from the conference. Section 1, "Understanding the Connection between Families and…

The Wisconsin Birth to 3 Program is a comprehensive, statewide system of community-based, family-centered services for young children and their families. This annual report of the Governor's Birth to 3 Interagency Coordinating Council details activities of the Wisconsin Birth to 3 Program for the period October 1, 1997 through September 30, 1998…