This report of the Child Welfare League of America calls for a meaningful national strategy to protect and invest in children and their families. The report outlines and documents essential investments, and highlights the costs of deficits and disinvestments in children. Specific actions are proposed to improve the well-being of vulnerable…

This document consists of the three 2000 issues of a journal reporting new research in early child development conducted by the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Articles in the spring 2000 issue focus on a follow-up study of the Abecedarian Project, children of depressed mothers,…

Despite the conventional wisdom that comprehensive services are an essential element in the support of children and families, over the past several decades programs and services have continued to be disconnected, separately funded, and provided by these multiple agencies. The need for local intermediaries has emerged through the devolution of…

Parental perspectives on family learning were examined through focus group discussions with parents who had participated in family learning courses at a nursery school, primary school, secondary school, and family support center in London, England. Five focus group discussions with a total of 25 family learning course participants, 2 in-depth…

This document is comprised of the three 2002 issues of a newsletter of the Harvard Family Research Project, designed to share new ideas and experiences in evaluating systems reform and comprehensive child and family services. The Spring issue focuses on family support evaluations and their role in advancing the field of family support and includes…

This report reviews the evidence for the effectiveness of different kinds of family support services, focusing on services in the United Kingdom, particularly for families who are disadvantaged or experiencing particular difficulties in their lives. The report also describes different evaluation methods and presents information on various measures…

Reports findings of qualitative, exploratory study that examined outcomes for 20 women who had successfully completed the Family Rehabilitation Program in New York City and identifies client characteristics associated with successful drug rehabilitation and practice interventions that support retention in drug treatment. (Author/FC)

The passage of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1990 mandated the provision of interventions for young children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) under the age of 3 years. Although Strain, McGee, and Kohler (2001) suggested that children with autism benefit from inclusive programming, inclusive early intervention programs are…

Steven Barnett and Clive Belfield examine the effects of preschool education on social mobility in the United States. They note that under current policy three- and four-year-old children from economically and educationally disadvantaged families have higher preschool attendance rates than other children. But current programs fail to enroll even…

In 1999, the Board of Commissioners of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, joined with 21 philanthropic foundations and private funders, as well as nearly 80 community service agencies, to form a public-private partnership that would launch an early childhood initiative, Invest in Children, as a comprehensive system of care focused on improving the…

In the past decade, there has been a sharp increase in awareness of how interventions that address multiple risk factors and target both children and their families can help ensure that children grow up healthy and able to learn. In 1995, the National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP) undertook a project to "map" state initiatives…

Early childhood programs have been shown to enhance school readiness, increase the efficacy of investments in primary schools and human capital formation, foster beneficial social behavior and, thereby, lessen social welfare costs, and promote community development. The World Bank has directed investment toward young children, including supporting…

These conference proceedings contain abstracts of papers or complete papers that were submitted for presentation, along with descriptions of all workshops from a conference on reaching families and youths who have limited resources. The following are included: "Volunteerism and Limited Resource Audiences" (Safrit, Smith); "Cultural Do's and…

This document explores selected issues related to connecting welfare reform initiatives and the literacy movement and provides basic information about literacy education and its economic impact. Literacy is defined, and similarities and differences between adult basic education, adult secondary education, and English-as-a-Second-Language programs…

Growing Up Strong (GUS) is a curriculum designed to develop strong mental health in preschool through sixth grade students. This document contains a GUS teacher's guide for preschool classrooms and masters of materials that can be sent home with preschool children to promote family involvement in GUS. Part I of the four-part teacher's guide…