Scholars address the principal issues necessary in deciding whether the United States should have an explicit family policy. Potential costs and what needs to be known before establishing a policy are discussed. Differing views and roles of the social scientist in implementing national policy conclude the symposium. (BEF)

A close-up view of the Parent Child Training Center in Robbinsdale, Minnesota, one of a growing number of early childhood and family education programs in the state. (Author/MP)

Two programs providing diabetic patients and their families with information and instruction on diabetes, including self-care instruction are described. (JMF)

The interest in family policy on the part of academic and political leaders may offer new opportunities to enact social legislation. Serious violations of civil liberties may threaten individuals and nonconventional families. Risks implicit in the adoption of a national policy outweigh the possible gains. (Author)

An educational program developed to prepare health professionals in a neonatal intensive care unit to initiate family-focused developmental care (FFDC) is described. The program was designed to support families with preterm infants. Findings suggest that the program was cost-efficient, prepared nurses to efficiently initiate FFDC, and improved…

In 1987, Yale University's Edward Zigler introduced the School of the 21st Century (21C), a model designed to enable schools to provide family support and child care services for children from infancy to age 12. Criticized as unfeasible, the decade-old program is now operating in 500 schools in 17 states and has helped redefine the family/school…

Profiles Lina Gomez, a social worker and Title I case manager who works in a Southwest border town and helps immigrant families obtain food and clothing, understand their legal rights, review rental and employment contracts, utilize Head Start services, and deal with arrest and deportation processes. The rationale for educating undocumented…

Describes Head Start on the Hill Day, an event organized by the National Head Start Association. The association set up a fully operational Head Start classroom on Capitol Hill to offer senators, representatives, and their staff a hands-on look at America's most celebrated antipoverty program at work and to strengthen their support of the program.…

This article discusses a home-centered approach to the use of assistive technology for children with disabilities, reviewing the literature on children's home environments, self-determination, family systems, and the physical and social environment. Suggestions are provided for professionals working with families to identify and provide assistive…

Provides suggestions for transitioning to family-centered services. Discusses how to establish commitments from schools and agencies, how to bring staff into the process of change, how to develop family-centered initiatives, how to provide appropriate training for staff, ways to overcome resistance, and strategies for matching services to need.…

Notes that the burden of budget reductions enacted by the 104th Congress have fallen disproportionately on programs for low-income families and individuals. Suggests that middle class entitlements such as Social Security and Medicare, which comprise more than half of the federal budget, would be a more prudent area in which to reduce spending.…

Review of the research pertaining to reactive attachment disorder (RAD) in the family context considers diagnosis of RAD and family experiences associated with children who have RAD. Focus is on interrelationships among RAD behavioral characteristics and associated challenges to parents and siblings. Relevant literature from different fields is…

Proposes that parents of children attending public elementary schools with high poverty and low achievement profiles be paid to attend school with their children. Parents would also participate in personal development sessions and training sessions meeting individual needs and goals. This approach should improve the community's work force and…

Parents of 36 autistic children were assessed on child functioning and family stress variables in relation to use of respite care services. Results suggest that parents with more difficult children need and use respite care more than others. Nonusers of respite care reported a higher perception of social support than users. (JDD)

This paper operationally defines a set of indicators for the decision to separate the child and family in child abuse cases. Application of the indicators to 152 cases of suspected child abuse in Australia found that severity of abuse, parenting, and the family social system were most predictive of a final separation outcome. (Author/DB)