Describes a program located in a 150-year-old log cabin designed to teach about home and farm life and to strengthen the inner self. (CH)

In America today, a tension exists between the continuing needs of an increasingly diverse population and the constantly dwindling resources available to serve them. This booklet looks at one type of program that provides an answer to the problem of addressing complicated human needs in a cost-effective way: family literacy. Through the stories of…

Designed to celebrate family/interprofessional collaborative partnerships, this publication describes high-quality examples of how families and professionals at the family, community, state, and national levels have worked together to create programs and practices that are family-friendly and responsive to what families have said they want and…

This study focused on non-use of Air Force Family Support Centers (FSCs), a global network of programs and services designed to facilitate family adaptation to the mobile military lifestyle and to help commanders and supervisors respond to family needs. The study used the 1993 Air Force Needs Assessment Survey to investigate what factors…

Discusses a strategy for organizing mental health programs for American Indian families. Suggests four principles for clinical service: (1) spirituality; (2) immersion with families and the community; (3) "picturing," or the articulation of unconscious family behaviors; and (4) "joining," or the reconstitution of the American Indian family system.…

Surveyed 659 family support workers regarding their training and services for families with 10- to 15-year olds. Found that 30 to 50% rated training as inadequate or poor, had inaccurate knowledge about young adolescent development, and felt they were doing an inadequate job promoting developmental assets for youth. Higher quality training was…

Notes that the family support and positive youth development movements represent considerable change in both philosophical and programmatic approaches to the delivery of services. Examines the key elements and the relative success of family support and youth development practice, compares the two streams of literature and programming, and suggests…

Reviews two federal studies that involved national searches for effective parenting and family interventions targeting pre-birth to adolescence. Results identified 3 effective program approaches, 13 principles of effectiveness, and 35 programs. Recommendations include increased dissemination research on training and technical assistance systems,…

Investigates the relationship between ethnicity and retention among families participating in a national network of home-based family support programs. Analyses indicate greater participation by African American and Latino parents as compared with European American parents. Retention predictors vary by ethnicity. Strategies to form a supportive…

Discusses the development of family centers in Great Britain by statutory and voluntary organizations. Includes a brief historical overview of family centers, current center models in practice, and issues related to centers. (RJC)

In October 1993, Kansas City Head Start project created Full Start, a pilot project with two neighborhood child care centers. Full Start is an expansion program to enable a wider range of needy children otherwise not eligible for Head Start to benefit from comprehensive services. Full Start parents are treated as equal partners participating in…

Discusses the need for family support programs especially designed for fathers, since most programs tend to focus on the mother's role as the primary caregiver and parent. Reviews the research on programs for fathers and introduces a model parent education and support program for fathers and their preschool-age children. (MDM)

Describes a series of new Discovery Programs called Family Zoo Adventures conducted at the Minnesota Zoo for elementary students. The series reflect a '90s approach to nontraditional teaching, focusing on the process of personal discovery and interactive learning. (LZ)

Describes the trends and objectives in caring for children with special health needs advanced by the U.S. Public Health Service and congressional legislation, especially PL99-457. This national agenda calls for family-centered, community-based services; interagency coordination; and improved insurance coverage. (DM)

This commentary on EC 605 926 examines the issue of whether the family or the individual with developmental disabilities should be the unit receiving services and discusses the impact of disability on the family. It concludes that the best interests of the family generally coincide with the best interests of the individual with disabilities. (JDD)