Calls for new approaches to meeting the needs of children and families, specifically through partnerships among Head Start, education, business, and other social service agencies. Discusses steps for establishing such partnerships as well as partnership objectives. Describes some existing collaborative programs around the country. (HTH)

A study examined family-centered practice in terms of six early-intervention service providers' philosophies and behaviors. Five underlying components of family-centered services were identified: positiveness, responsiveness, orientation to the whole family, friendliness, and sensitivity. Moreover, these service providers displayed skills both…

Describes the Deaf Mentor Experimental Project, which provided deaf-mentor services to young deaf children, ages 0 to 5, and their families. Deaf adults (mentors) shared their language (American Sign Language), culture, and personal knowledge of deafness while serving as role models for the children. Program children made greater language gains…

This response to Mahoney et al. (EC 623 392) agrees that there is currently less emphasis on parent education in the early-intervention literature but suggests that the current emphasis on family-centered services can be integrated with parent education while supporting family empowerment. (DB)

To examine the perceptions of families in the early childhood special education literature, four popular journals were reviewed, and 93 1996-1997 articles were identified for further study. Results found a lack of emphasis on the family and the family's role in the delivery of early intervention services. (Contains references.) (CR)

This article discusses a family-centered approach to assistive technology assessment for young children with mental retardation or developmental disabilities and their families. After a literature review, legal definitions of assistive technology are examined, and a model is presented for supporting and involving families in technology assessment…

Interviews with 15 families of young children with disabilities and 14 professionals working with them indicated that professionals have an understanding of the change in focus from child-centered to family-centered intervention; however there was some incongruence between family-centered attitudes and actual practice. Families expressed overall…

Recognizing that religion can positively transform people's lives and that churches and synagogues have altruistic members with diverse abilities, the Escambia County (Florida) School District created church care teams to work with special-needs families and their schools over an extended time. Positive changes in target families are already…

In neighborhoods of wide socioeconomic and cultural variation, liaisons who speak at least two languages are a vital link between school and community. Over several years, Fairfax County, Virginia, program has grown from one part-time position to three positions to meet the needs of the sizable Spanish- and Vietnamese-speaking communities. (MLH)

The Family Support Services program of the Washtenaw Intermediate School District in Michigan encourages active collaboration between parents of children with special needs and professionals. This article addresses the history and philosophy of parent involvement; a district survey of family needs which identified information as the highest ranked…

Describes as example a parents' center in London to examine impact of evaluation exercises on people and services being evaluated. Questions whether evaluators are measuring the right things, whether evidence is valid, and what effects an evaluation may have on services. Identifies features of research and evaluation that are most likely to…

Discusses the emphasis on promoting policy and practice changes based on research evidence in projects (funded by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation) related to housing, social policy, social care, youth, and families. Discusses the difficulties in using random control trials for assessing the effectiveness of interventions with individuals. Concludes…

Examined issues raised by pilot implementations of "Looking After Children" materials in social-work agencies in England, Canada, Australia, and Sweden. Found that implementation required major organizational change and new values and attitudes toward children in out-of-home care. Difficulties arose when management and monitoring systems…

Examined the development and outcomes of Australian government policy of forced child removal from Aboriginal families. Discusses policy antecedents, its surrounding philosophy and politics, and the emergence of a more critical understanding of this policy in recent years. Examines the general implications of this history for the sociology of…

A study of multicultural social work practice interviewed 13 Canadian social workers and 19 immigrant clients in a program for inner-city children and families. Establishing a working relationship was an interactive process that included multiple connection and communication avenues. Proactive service provision involved cultural bridging,…