Provides the historical background and policy framework of child protection and family preservation approaches. Examines the complementarity between these efforts as exemplified by family reunification as a major component of the service delivery system in child welfare. Suggests that family reunification protects children and families to the…

Aware of increasing poverty among his students, a Virginia principal enlisted a retired teacher's assistance to provide direct support for underachieving students' families. After developing trust and rapport with identified families, the home-school consultant visited families to establish mutual goals, ranging from obtaining medical care, food,…

Because of its comprehensive child welfare system, Denmark has a large number of children in out-of-home care. The system is strained under present social conditions. Government-funded efforts are being implemented to improve policies, programs, and use of placement and treatment resources. (BC)

This article offers guidelines for designing inservice education for personnel working with young children with disabilities and their families. Discussion covers definitions, assumptions, support and start up, initial planning, program design, evaluation, implementation, and follow-up. It identifies special considerations and circumstances…

With the 1990s witnessing a unique type of extended family that is always on the run, public park and recreation departments are providing recreational programs to meet the needs of individuals of all ages. The article examines changing demographics and how they affect physical fitness behavior in American families. (SM)

The "Parents Interacting with Infants" program was developed as an interdisciplinary early intervention human services practicum with a family orientation. The practicum's philosophy functions as a framework to support self-reflection with regard to each student's emerging professional orientation toward the delivery of family-centered,…

Examines the following issues raised by recent child care legislation: (1) the status of, and myths about, children in poverty and the historical context of child care policies; (2) the relationships between child care policies and African-American families; and (3) the implications of recent legislation for the future. (JB)

This analysis of federal laws, state-level policies, and providers' and consumers' viewpoints examines the degree to which family-oriented early intervention policies and practices are family centered. Results indicate a movement toward adoption of family-centered policies and practices, but show discrepancies between state-level policymakers and…

Provides descriptive information about visiting services developed by the Family Connection Center in Indianapolis, Indiana, that could serve as a model for the development of similar services in other communities. Describes the center's services to families with children in placement and program variations for divorced parents and their children.…

The reliability and validity of the Working with Young Children and Their Families instrument were tested with 101 of 192 occupational therapists surveyed. The form proved to be a reliable way of measuring the outcome of workshops to improve therapists' competence in working with families of children with special needs. (SK)

This naturalistic study analyzed videotape recordings of nine individualized family service plan meetings in early intervention programs attempting to actively involve parents in the planning process. Results indicated that parents have attained partial decision-making power, but greater attention to parent participation is needed in goal setting,…

The utilization of program evaluation is addressed and illustrated through the case study of a family reunification program at a New England child welfare agency. It is argued that evaluation is an exercise in power in an organization. Evaluators who understand power can work with the realities they find. (SLD)

The article examines the transition to parenthood that occurs for parents of full-term healthy infants and the similarities and differences in the experiences of parents of technology-assisted infants. Implications for early intervention practice for technology-assisted infants and their families are then discussed. (Author/JDD)

Project FIEL, Family Initiative for English Literacy, was designed to provide participatory literacy and biliteracy development opportunities for (Hispanic-American) families in El Paso. This article discusses program goals; theoretical perspectives; project design rationale; population characteristics; curriculum development, implementation, and…

Varied approaches to providing adult English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) literacy programs are described, including those connected to community-based organizations and welfare offices. Funding factors for workplace literacy and family literacy programs are noted. (one reference) (LB)