Obesity, poor health, and limited physical activity are major health concerns. The Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) improves the health and well-being of limited resource families and youth. Additionally, EFNEP leads to public savings. Research shows that better health is associated with reduced health care costs, less…

In 2009, (and over a six week period) the National Literacy Trust (NLT) hosted a survey that was offered to the 21 local authorities making up the Partners in Literacy network at that time. Partners in Literacy (PiL) is a pilot project, funded from 2009 by the then Department for Children, Schools and Families and delivered by the NLT in…

The acquisition of emergent literacy for young children who are ethnic-minority, low-income or non-English speaking is threatened by myriad social risks. Given the need for empirically-supported interventions for these groups, a comprehensive literature review was undertaken, involving both a descriptive review and a meta-analysis. The 31 selected…

This paper describes brief work with pregnant teenagers, adolescent mothers, their infants and their wider families, a group who would not ordinarily seek treatment in child and adolescent mental health services. The work takes place in a community context in London and includes a home visiting service for young people unable to attend…

This study examined whether parents of adolescents diagnosed with mental disorders self-blame for their child's disorders; their reasons for self-blame; and the relationships between parental self-blame and lower psychological well-being, perceived stigmatization, social support, potential hereditary factors related to adolescents' mental…

This study examines the use of family education and support (FES) services within community-based mental health systems. Using data from the national evaluation of the Children's Mental Health Initiative (CMHI), 2,853 caregivers and their children ages 6 to 18 years from 39 communities participated in this study. The findings indicated that during…

There is strong consensus in California and in the country around the notions of equal opportunity for all children, and giving kids a chance of having it better than their parents. The reality in California is that most families lack the means and resources to provide their children with the basic building blocks of a productive life in the 21st…

The Promising Practices Network (PPN) on Children, Families and Communities (www.promisingpractices.net) began as a partnership between four state-level organizations that help public and private organizations improve the well-being of children and families. The PPN website, archived in June 2014, featured summaries of programs and practices that…

Can we imagine different ways of working together to secure better outcomes for children and families? What are the complex issues that underlie the apparently simple call for "joined-up" services? Children's services in many countries around the world are being transformed as part of the call for "joined-up working for joined-up…

About 80,000 children enter kindergarten in Washington each year, and many lack basic language and behavioral skills--such as knowing letters and colors, following directions, getting along with others, and exhibiting impulse-control. In 2006, based on the recommendation of the Washington Learns Commission, Governor Christine Gregoire created the…

In this study we investigated experiences of parents of children with cerebral palsy (CP) to identify areas in which health care providers and educators could improve practice. A second objective was to create educational material for parents of young children newly diagnosed with CP. A purposive sample of nine parents, who previously participated…

Health care providers have adopted a family-centered care (FCC) approach. Parent satisfaction is an indicator of the effectiveness of FCC. The purpose of this project was to describe parent perceptions of the extent to which FCC behaviors occurred in an outpatient pediatric rehabilitation facility. The Measure of Processes of Care (MPOC)-20, a…

Little has been documented about the needs for information, guidance, and support of parents of school-age children with hearing loss, particularly those whose children are about to enter or are in the often turbulent stage of adolescence. The purpose of this study was to provide new knowledge about the specific needs of parents of adolescents and…

As North Carolina FCS celebrates its 100-year centennial, it is time to reflect. For a century, FCS professionals have helped families apply research-based knowledge and principles. This article describes how American families have changed and how we have met those changes in our Extension roles. We also challenge FCS professionals to view the…

For 20 years, Advocates for Children of New Jersey has published the Newark Kids Count Data Book, a one-stop source for child well-being data on our state's largest city. Newark Kids Count includes the latest statistics, along with five-year trend data, in the following areas: demographics, family economic security, food insecurity, child health,…