This study examined the influence of aspects of the post-Hurricane Katrina recovery environment (i.e., discrimination, social support) and coping behaviors on children's posttraumatic stress reactions (symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder [PTSD], anxiety, and depression). Data corresponding to 46 youth (M = 11.43 years; 39% girls; 33% African…

This paper describes an innovative service delivery model to reduce the number of children entering the child welfare system. Point of Engagement (POE) is a collaborative family- and community-centered approach initiated in Compton, a regional office in Los Angeles County that serves south Los Angeles, a predominantly African American and…

This article addresses the emerging use of parent mentors--parents who have successfully negotiated the child welfare system and provide support and advocacy to others. The theoretical justification, roles, and expected outcomes and benefits of parent mentors are explored. The organizational factors thought to be required for such programs are…

Since 1979, the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) has worked to achieve its vision of a world in which all people with Down syndrome have the opportunity to realize their life's aspirations. Specifically, the organization provides national leadership in education, research and advocacy. In cooperation with 170 affiliate groups, NDSS has…

As part of a larger study on developing children's reading fluency in the classroom, a program was introduced to help parents understand the importance of fluency and participate in fluency-related activities with children at home. The Family Fluency Program included activities similar to those that the children were doing in school, with some…

The 1990s has seen a dramatic shift in the desired orientation of early intervention services, involving a movement away from child-centered approaches in assessment and intervention to a family-centered approach in service delivery. This study attempted to contribute to the little research available on the efficacy of the family-centered…

The text of a hearing on American families is presented in this document. Comments by Representatives Patricia Schroeder, Bob McEwen, Michael Bilirakis, Frank Wolf, and Jim Bacchus, as well as Senator John D. Rockefeller, IV, are presented. Testimony and/or prepared statements and materials are included from these persons: (1) Gary L. Bauer,…

This collection of materials presents "Grandletters," a correspondence program designed to strengthen the relationship between grandparents and grandchildren separated by distance, by having them exchange 10 letters on special topics, keep a scrapbook and a journal, and do other optional activities. The materials include three separate…

Families whose primary or sole means of financial support is derived from the welfare system are attempting to meet immediate survival needs in the same manner as families outside of the system. Project Self-Sufficiency is a program which dedicates time to building trusting relationships based on mutual respect and the belief that, with support,…

Part of the Harvard Family Research Project's ongoing series of case studies that examine state-level policy and programs for families, this booklet reviews initiatives undertaken by the states of Connecticut, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, and Missouri to support and educate families with young children. Each of the booklet's five sections…

The record of the 1985 hearing addresses policy issues concerning families of disabled children. Statements are presented from parents of severely disabled children, educators, researchers, agency personnel, and disabled consumers. Topics addressed include sources of family stress, need for financial and respite services, the effects on other…

The article describes a Netherlands model for support and assistance to families of handicapped children. "Practical Help at Home" is an outgrowth of the Parents' Initiative Movement and relies on volunteers to provide a range of services including respite and training. (CL)

Respite care for parents of mentally retarded children may be provided through such services as placement agencies, group day care, existing community residences, state residential facilities, funding conduits, and camperships. Partlow State School and Hospital in Alabama has sorted an increasing number of families, since its inception in 1980.…