Discusses five obstacles to the development of a continuum of child welfare services; the effects of these obstacles on minority children; and steps that policymakers and voluntary agencies might take to improve the continuum of care of minority children. (BG)

Describes essential components of systems of care and interagency collaboration. A case illustration describes a setting in which special service providers in schools, particularly special education administrators and school psychologists, played major roles in the conceptualization and implementation of interagency collaboration for a system of…

Describes the coordination of health and human services from sites within schools. Discusses funding trends and the following proposed strategies: (1) case management; (2) networking; (3) "one-stop" services; and (4) administrative consolidation. Discusses steps for advocacy, leadership, participation, and funding at the policy and local…

Examined the relationship between literacy development and sociocultural aspects. Identified some cognitive processes in biliteracy acquisition through categorizing children's work according to Piaget's active learner categories that show learners constructing knowledge for different purposes. Results suggest that these cognitive processes are…

Objective: To assess the risk and predictors of service disengagement in adolescents with first-episode psychosis (FEP) receiving their first treatment in a long-standing early intervention and prevention centre. Method: The Early Psychosis Prevention and Intervention Centre (EPPIC) in Australia admitted 157 adolescents, ages 15 to 18, with FEP…

There has been increased interest in the development and implementation of physical activity interventions designed to increase young people's physical activity participation in recent years. This is perhaps founded on concerns over youngsters' physical activity levels and the possible health consequences. School-based interventions are the most…

The objective of this paper is to assess the effect of the socio-economic status (SES) on long-term outcomes of a family-based obesity treatment intervention in prepubertal children. A total of 52 overweight and 26 normal weight children were investigated. Nutritional status, intake of fruit, vegetables and low fat foods, in-between meals, sports…

This article addresses the dynamics of parent-child interactions and their potential influence on the development of social competence among children with Down syndrome (DS). The authors argue that a strong parent-child relationship is fundamental for building the social competence of children with DS and the integration and inclusion of these…

Colorado traditionally has ranked as one of the healthiest states in the nation, a claim that reinforces a culture of activity, community and well-being. Though Colorado is ahead of the curve in this area, Coloradans aren't immune to the growing trends that threaten the health of people across the nation. One of the most concerning elements of…

In Head Start, family service workers facilitate the process for guiding and assisting families in securing services needed for specific family issues regarding health care, housing, employment, education, and/or crisis management. These services were particularly important to families following Hurricane Charley and the subsequent recovery…

This document is intended to present briefly the needs of children and families, to identify the greatest gaps in services, and to discuss how psychology can mobilize as a profession to address both needs and gaps. It begins by highlighting prominent indicators to demonstrate that America's children and families are in crisis. Following that are a…

Project Head Start has recently expanded into elementary schools through the National Head Start/Public School Transition Project (NTP), a school-based intervention program designed to improve outcomes for at-risk students. The SDTP (South Dakota site of NTP) is attempting to improve life chances for children by improving home and school…

This book presents 21 case studies of young children with disabilities in a variety of family situations and settings, for early interventionists to study in planning and applying recommended practices. Section I, "Defining and Delivering Quality Services in Early Intervention," provides two introductory chapters: "The Search for Quality…

This final report describes activities and accomplishments of an outreach project of Project SKI-HI, a family-centered, home intervention model designed to provide training to early intervention professionals serving infants, toddlers, and preschoolers with hearing impairments. In the project, an early intervention professional or a parent advisor…

This final report describes activities and accomplishments of a 3-year federally supported project in Arizona to identify all children with deaf-blindness, empower families to advocate for their children, and train service providers. Major accomplishments of the project included: a 21 percent increase in identified children; provision of early…