Relevance of the problem stated in the article is determined by the presence of a significant number of families in difficult life situations who need in professional support and socio-psychological assistance. The article aims to substantiate the effectiveness of the structural-functional model of professional supporting for families in difficult…

This paper proposes the use of home-based, family-centered services that are designed to encourage the healthy development of children in their families. Such services would constitute part of a comprehensive approach to the child welfare problem in Indiana. The goals of family-centered services are to: (1) preserve the integrity of the family;…

As a result of the impact of economic industrialization on the U.S. economy, the extended family in the United States has fragmented; nuclear families have lost contact with sources of parenting information and, increasingly, when parenting problems have occurred, the assistance of social service agencies has been requested. The lack of parenting…

Suggests that money spent to police child abuse among low-income families should be used to assist families in need of relief before abuse occurs and to monitor institutions and law enforcement agencies that purport to protect children from their abusive parents. (Author/GC)

Uses the pyramid-of-services model to organize the complexity of child day care systems and to delineate their place in the framework of family preservation and support services. Argues that the family focus of family preservation and family support can utilize the unique elements of child day care as a vehicle for family empowerment. (MDM)

HOMEBUILDERS, a home-based crisis intervention model, is described. The core beliefs of the program are listed; therapists' availability and caseloads are discussed; and reasons for limiting intervention to a four-week period are indicated. (BC)

Describes one community-based program designed to support and strengthen families with an identified problem of substance abuse. Discusses parents' progress in addressing their problems, reduction of risk in Project families, children's placement experience, and client satisfaction. Concludes with implications for practice with substance…

On June 9, 1987, a hearing was held for the purpose of receiving testimony about family preservation programs that aim to keep children out of foster care by strengthening troubled families. Testifying were program providers, a juvenile court judge, and families who have benefited from family preservation services. Testimony focused on the…

This report presents an evaluation of the Intensive Services Project in Lincoln and McCook, Nebraska, which was designed to demonstrate that caseworkers with smaller child protective caseloads could offer more effective home-based services. The background of the project is described focusing on staffing and service setting. Service principles and…

This report, in French- and English-language versions, synthesizes the policy laid down in the "Think and Act Family" guide, which Quebec's Conseil de la Famille made public in 1989. The report is intended for those who work with families in any function, such as a volunteer, a professional, or an administrator; it emphasizes that a…

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)

This report was written in an effort to establish a new strategy for reducing the odds of failure for thousands of Arizona's vulnerable children and their families. It echoes the sentiments of a growing number of policymakers, concerned citizens, and parents who hold that the cost of child and family problems is so dramatic, and the amount of…

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…

THE PARTICIPANTS IN THIS WORKSHOP WERE INTERESTED IN DETERMINING HOW HOME ECONOMISTS MAY WORK MORE EFFECTIVELY WITH THE POOR. THEY INCLUDED WELFARE DIRECTORS, TEACHERS, CASEWORKERS, HOME ECONOMISTS, ECONOMISTS, AND CREDIT AND LIFE INSURANCE REPRESENTATIVES. LOW INCOME WAS DEFINED IN RELATION TO NEED AND TO TOTAL RESOURCES. PRESENTATIONS WERE--(1)…

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…