Street children, as the offspring of complex contemporary urban environments, represent one of our most serious global challenges. Article discusses the causes of this phenomenon, characteristics of street children throughout the world, and specific circumstances in Nepal, Indonesia, India, Latin America, and the Philippines. (Author/EMK)

This is an annotated resource guide for those interested in recent hunger and food insecurity studies. Objectives, methods, and key findings of each study are summarized, and contact information for obtaining the report is given. Studies are grouped by survey location and listed chronologically by publication or release date within each geographic…

Substance abuse among U.S. Blacks is discussed as the concomitant of a chaotic, rapidly changing, and exploitative society. The impact on families and children of drug and alcohol use is viewed as a personal issue; however, it is a public issue because its causes lie in the social structure. (SLD)

This book consists of 15 chapters on understanding and helping the homeless. The first seven chapters present the "new" homeless in historical context and describe this population and its situation. The remaining eight chapters discuss policy and program options of the government and other organizations in attempting to alleviate the problems of…

THE OUTLINED REPORT ADDRESSES PROBLEMS SUCH AS THE NEGRO SELF-CONCEPT, POPULATION CHANGES IN THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA, UNEMPLOYMENT TRENDS, HOME CONDITIONS, AND THE INCIDENCE OF CRIME IN THE OAKLAND AREA. STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT RECORDS, THE RECRUITMENT OF TEACHERS AND GENERAL STAFF RECRUITMENT ARE ALSO REVIEWED. OAKLAND'S "GRAY AREA" IS…

Describes fathers whose children were born to teenage mothers in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1983. These fathers were at a serious educational and financial disadvantage when compared to fathers whose partners were aged 20 or above. White teenage fathers had lower educational attainment than Black; many more Black teenage fathers were unmarried than…

This essay with photographs describes the experiences of two runaways, examining why they left home and how they found help. Although runaways have a reputation for being irresponsible, they usually have good reasons for leaving home. The nun who ran Noah's Ark, where both the runaways featured found shelter and help, estimated that only about two…

A study used data on African American children in foster care collected by the National Black Child Development Institute (NBCDI) to compare whether there are differences in the characteristics, needs, services, and outcomes for children depending on whether or not parental drug abuse was a contributing factor in their foster care placements. The…

Presents data on the problems of poor children and youth. Describes the efforts of the Children's Defense Fund to make preventive investment in children and families the cornerstone of domestic policy, and to make decent, affordable child care services available nationwide. (MW)

This report examines homeless families, isolates similarities and differences between homeless and poor but stably-housed families, identifies paths along which families slide into homelessness, and recommends policy changes. The report uses a body of data collected in 1987-1988 on two groups of poor families in Los Angeles (California) half of…

The contrast between private contentment with family life and public pessimism about the state of the U.S. family mirrors the frightening view of human relations presented by popular culture, particularly popular music. Many African-American leaders deplore any association between African-American culture and current, often obscene, pop music…

An assessment of welfare-related experiences and perspectives of Puerto Rican Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) recipients in New York City (New York), Newark (New Jersey), and Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) was conducted. Data were developed through 8 self-contained focus groups involving 63 participants. An additional focus group was…

This testimony, from welfare reform hearings in New York City, was given before the Senate Subcommittee on Social Security and Family Policy. The hearings were held to gather information for new regulations regarding public monies for child support. The Senate is considering whether to reform the present welfare system or to replace it with a new…

Studies the role of education and its effect on the economic well-being of Mexican Americans in the border city of Laredo (Texas). Finds that while barrio residents are profoundly impressed with the importance of education, Mexican American earnings fail to keep pace with educational attainment. (AF)

Data explain causes of declining well-being among families with small children in terms of demography, economics, inadequate government programs, perverse government programs, family structure, neighborhood and community, and culture. Declining economic prospects for young male workers and accelerated movement toward single-parent families are the…