Notes that reversing the "quiet crisis" in health and education facing infants and toddlers in America requires action in four key areas: (1) promoting responsible parenthood; (2) guaranteeing quality child care choices; (3) ensuring good health and protection; and (4) mobilizing communities to support young children and their families.…

Discusses the Free to Grow initiative, a five-year program aimed at increasing the capacity of Head Start to help prevent substance abuse. The collaborative program is designed to assist a number of local Head Start programs to develop and implement model substance abuse prevention projects that will strengthen both the families and neighborhoods…

The family associate is a parent without professional mental health training who acts as a system guide to low-income families whose children have been referred to mental health services. Family associates in three counties in Oregon provide emotional support and information about mental health services and community resources and link them to…

After four years of planning under Part H of Public Law 99-457, data reveal that the early intervention program is behind schedule, with Individualized Family Service Plans (IFSP) not in place in all states. However, 5 of the first 10 states in their fourth year of official Part H participation are assuring full implementation of IFSPs. (Author/DB)

Twenty parents whose handicapped children were receiving early intervention services were encouraged to participate in formal education and training on individualized family service planning (IFSP). A significantly greater number of present level of development statements were included in IFSP documents of participating parents. Increased numbers…

In 1971, Indiana University's alumni association joined the continuing education division to offer an annual week-long miniuniversity for alumni, families, and nonalumni. Over 100 on-campus classes showcasing the university's finest faculty have been offered for all age groups. Extracurricular social events and child care are also available. (MSE)

When Canadian institutions would not provide courses for the Canim Lake (British Columbia) Band of the Shuswap Indians, Gonzaga University (Washington), 500 miles away, began a program of classes held on the reservation, linkage with the main campus by computer, and an on-campus summer session that entire families attended. (MSE)

A national survey assessing the degree and kind of family intervention services received was completed by 503 mothers with handicapped children in early intervention programs. Factor analysis was performed and items used to construct the Family-Focused Intervention Scale with 5 reliable subscales. Comparisons among groups of mothers supported…

This article confronts concerns in providing family intervention services to the growing population of non-White, non-Anglo families. Strategies are offered for gathering information about these families while respecting their nonmainstream culture, values, and beliefs. Alternative perspectives on child rearing, disability, medicine, intervention,…

Argues that although home visiting programs themselves have mixed results in addressing family health and welfare needs, such programs, as part of a comprehensive, family-focused health and social services system, can have an important impact on the health and welfare of children. (MDM)

Proposes a renewed focus on parent education in early intervention but urges the development of strategies that are consistent with contemporary family-service concepts, the provision of explicit instruction to service providers in parent education strategies, and research studies on short- and long-term effects of parent education. (Author/DB)

Discussion of problems faced by early interventionists in working with families offers practical guidelines for developing effective collaborations between early intervention programs and families. These include establishing family-centered services and rules for clinician/parent communication, encouraging the family to be a genuine coparticipant,…

This article discusses the importance of the interdisciplinary, family-centered approach to early intervention and the critical relevance of the knowledge and skills of pediatric physical therapists to remediate complex impairments of young children while meeting family needs. It presents advance competencies in pediatric physical therapy for…

Presents a model intervention program for young children with disabilities based on a public health approach that is empirically driven, with correspondence rules relating the independent to the dependent variables. The program was designed to provide a total-service intervention for infants prenatally exposed to cocaine. (Author/CR)

Summarizes the status of public funding for child protection, contrasts expenditures for foster care versus family services, and traces the links between public assistance and child protection policies. The possibility that the 1996 federal welfare reform law may increase the need for child welfare services and drive up costs of child protection…