Children eligible for Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) were found to have substantially higher mortality rates than non-AFDC children, based on data from 3,679 child death certificates. The disparity appears greater for whites than non-whites. Results suggest social class differentials in health care and risks. (SLD)

Discusses the related nature of prevention and treatment of drug abuse and alcohol abuse. For both prevention and treatment, the focus must be on outreach, culturally specific needs, and community-based needs. Treatment modalities that have been most effective are those that put the basic needs of the client first. (SLD)

Schools cannot solve society's ills, but they can be held accountable for teaching academic subjects and developing thinking skills. Parents and teachers must be integral parts of any planned reforms. Excellence in urban schools is achieved by focusing on academic achievement, encouraging parent involvement, and professional renewal. (SLD)

An understanding of developmental psychology should be the basis of school reform. How students grow and learn is the obvious focal point for efforts to establish improvement policies. Experiences in creating a climate in inner-city schools that supports development are described. (SLD)

Examines the growing problem of violence in American society, focusing on the public health consequences and medical costs of firearm violence and violence against children and youths. It discusses the Clinton administration's violence prevention efforts and implications of violence for health and child care professionals. (MDM)

Explores the intersection of race and gender by examining two ascendant political discourses about African American males: (1) Afrocentrism; and (2) black feminist thought. Reviews recent African American history and the development of both Afrocentrism and black feminism. (CFR)

Public obsession with issues of measurement, early intervention, promotion, suspension, education, age of exit, and alternative education dominates discourse on what can be done about high school dropouts. Additional controversial issues of societal structural interdependence are examined for their importance in education reform for minority and…

The health care crisis faced by African Americans must be addressed by the nation as a whole with the same energy that erupts when a natural disaster occurs. On an individual basis, blacks can improve their own health with attention to child nurturing and personal nutrition. (SLD)

Reviews policies that address substance abuse among the homeless. Recommends that the changing needs of the homeless require an integration of alcoholism and drug abuse recovery services with programs for various groups, substance-free housing, and psychological knowledge incorporated into programs for those struggling with addiction and…

Reviews recent research on the epidemiology, subject characteristics, and service needs of the homeless population who are dually diagnosed to suffer both severe mental illness and substance abuse disorders. Discusses evolving approaches to providing social services, various treatments, system and legal issues, and problems with current research.…

This study compares social relationships of 677 homeless mothers with 495 housed mothers on public assistance in New York (New York). Homeless women had more disruptive social experiences but were more likely to have had recent contact with relatives/friends. Over 75 percent had visited relatives/friends in the past year. (JB)

Compares areas and levels of political conflict in racially isolated school districts by surveying six superintendents from racially isolated African-American schools and six superintendents from racially isolated white schools. Similar issues arise at every conflict level with small variations among issues between African-American and white…

A review of statistics on the health status of young children in poverty and the conditions in which they live illustrates that the potential of a large portion of the next generation is being wasted. Some policies and programs are presented as incremental steps to protect poor children's health. (SLD)

Social and economic problems facing U.S. children are reviewed, including poverty, hunger and homelessness, gaps in health and mental health services, infant mortality/morbidity, child abuse, drug use, and violence depicted in the mass media. Risk-taking behaviors that are children's responses and suggestions to remedy these problems are…

Discusses rural poverty in Bangladesh and describes the creation of the Grameen Bank, which combines business with social engineering. The rapid diffusion of the bank both within and outside Bangladesh is described; interpersonal strategies used in communicating its programs, especially to women, are explained; and the socioeconomic impact in…