Minnesota's Interagency Early Childhood Network, which includes representatives of early childhood, family, and health-related programs from four state agencies, developed this set of outcomes and indicators measuring the well-being of children and families. The outcomes and indicators are designed to be a source for community programs that focus…

This document reports successes of San Antonio's private, nonprofit Avance program in promoting enrollment in classes by low-income Hispanic mothers of infants or young children. Also reported are outcomes of attempts to identify predictors of course-taking. The Avance Parent-Child Education Program is a 9-month, comprehensive, center-based…

Presents an overview of an evaluation of the effectiveness and impact of family-centered home-based services as implemented within the Child Welfare Division of Hennepin County, Minnesota Community Services Department, which worked with families of an adolescent who had been approved for out-of-home placement. (BB)

The Phoenix Early Head Start (EHS) program is a family-centered program intended to provide early, continuous, intensive, and comprehensive child development and family support services for first-time teen parents and their very young children. This report presents case studies of 12 families, all EHS participants, who agreed to be followed…

This paper reviews evaluations of family-centered intervention programs conducted in neonatal intensive care units. Of 10 studies identified, 3 focused on intervention to benefit the family system; 6 involved parents, but the primary focus was the infant; and 1 study combined the 2 approaches. All the studies had substantial limitations.…

Describes several innovative types of shared family-care arrangements that demonstrate promise in the protection of children and the promotion of family well-being. Emphasizes the shared-family foster-care model, whereby children and parents are placed with host families rather than separating them. Notes key elements of the model: funding and…

The evaluation of Minnesota's Early Childhood Family Education program is described, and a dialog between one of the evaluators and an editor of this journal provides further insight into the evaluation process. Noteworthy in this evaluation, called exemplary by the American Evaluation Association, was highly motivated collaboration of evaluation…

Refutes Gilliam et al.'s critique regarding the Comprehensive Child Development Program (CCDP) evaluation, including issues related to randomization, dropout rates, timing of evaluation, and services for control families. Discusses the broader issues regarding the appropriate interpretation of results of large-scale randomized trials of complex…

The Teaching Family program is one of the most extensively researched models for residential care. A major meta-analysis found that the Teaching Family Model (TFM) was one of the five most consistently effective treatments for delinquents. However, two recent publications imply that behaviorally based and/or group treatments might be harmful.…

This article discusses the challenges faced when a popular model program, the Strengthening Families Program, which in the past has been implemented on a smaller scale in single organizations, moves to a larger, multiorganization endeavor. On the basis of 42 interviews conducted with program staff, the results highlight two main themes that…

There is increasing recognition of the need for evaluations that identify program processes or mediators and assess degree of program implementation rather than focusing solely on outcome evaluation. This paper describes the application of complementary qualitative and quantitative evaluation procedures to assess the degree of implementation of…

Background: An area-based initiative, Sure Start Local Programmes (SSLPs), was established by the UK government to reduce social exclusion through improving the well-being of children aged 0-3 years and their families in disadvantaged communities; a true community intervention in that all children under four and their families in specified areas…

Three New Hampshire communities (Keene, Lebanon, and Portsmouth) were sponsors of model demonstration adolescent parenting programs funded by the Comprehensive Children and Youth Project (CCYP) during the first nine months of 1981. In each community, one agency, in collaboration with other providers, implemented a program designed to meet the…

Early Head Start began with 68 new programs in 1995, and today, more than 600 programs serve some 45,000 low-income families with infants and toddlers. This two-generation program provides high-quality child and family development services, a focus on staff development, and a commitment to community partnerships. A rigorous national evaluation,…

Discusses the development of the Family Assessment Form for use in in-home family support services at the Children's Bureau of Los Angeles, California. Focuses on details of the form, its reliability and validity, and refinements in its use. (BB)