This article reports on research funded as a "Best Practice" project by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) designed to use action research to progress the government agenda for healthy schools. The project involved teachers working with university researcher. The outcome is five small research reports consisting of two…

As part of a commitment to eliminate child poverty, the British government has established Sure Start programs across the country. Sure Start programs are very similar to U.S. Early Head Start initiatives; their stated aim is to improve the health and well-being of disadvantaged families and children before and from birth. The article describes…

This study aimed to investigate the experiences of mothers participating in MOCEP in Istanbul, through a qualitative research methodology. Overall effectiveness of the programme, its implementation and how the mothers benefited were the main concerns. The study was carried out with 20 mothers. Individual and focus interviews, participant…

A systematic review was undertaken of scientifically rigorous studies of family-based services in children's health and mental health. From a pool of over 4000 articles since 1980 in health and mental health that examined either specific family-based interventions for families of children or the processes of involvement, 41 studies were identified…

Since 1982, the Ounce of Prevention Fund's network of Parents Too Soon (PTS) programs for teen parents throughout Illinois has supported communities, programs, and families through a mix of mechanisms: funding, program development, extensive training and support, and public policy advocacy. This article describes a qualitative view of how…

Teachers and administrators interested in special education topics are seeking educational opportunities for professional development in order to better meet the needs of students, but face obstacles such as time and distance in attending face-to-face instruction. Distance delivery and more specifically offering courses online, is a very viable…

There has been a growing recognition of the need to provide appropriate intervention services to fathers who have been abusive in their families. This paper highlights four specific treatment goals for fathers who maltreat their children, along with therapeutic strategies necessary to accomplish desired outcomes. These goals were developed as part…

Objective: This article selectively reviews evidence-based family and peer interventions for co-occurring mental illness and substance use disorders. Although few researchers have specifically investigated family interventions for dual disorders, considerable empirical evidence exists for the effectiveness of such interventions in treating each of…

This article describes how a rural community in Colorado developed the infrastructure to provide a family-centered, culturally competent array of early childhood mental health services that are integrated into existing community-based programs. The Early Childhood Health/Education Outreach (ECHO) and Family Center Early Childhood Council's…

The work of the Arizona Commission for Postsecondary Education (ACPE) is guided by a strategic plan. The purpose of the plan is to provide focus for the activity of this small agency and its five staff members in order to increase productivity and impact in the areas of its statutory authority. The mission and goals were accepted by Commissioners…

This paper represents a pooling of diverse perspectives and experiences of four organizations concerned that the current block grant structure of funding for social and family support services will not adequately improve the social services system or the lives of children and families. Focusing on ways in which the current re-examination of…

The "Guidelines for Effective Practice" series was begun in 1991 to meet the need for better definition and articulation of what constitutes best practice in family support programs. This guide, the first issue of the series, focuses on the importance and necessity of linkages between family support and early childhood programs. Chapter…

As chair of the National Governors' Association Committee on Human Resources, Governor John R. McKernan, Jr., launched the initiative "From Classrooms to Workrooms: Meeting the Needs of the Changing American Family" in the summer of 1991 to examine the evolving role of the American family in society. This publication details programs…

This monograph offers an introduction to providing an interagency "system of care" for meeting the needs of children and youth with emotional/behavioral disorders (E/BD). This approach focuses on meeting the individual needs of children with E/BD in their home communities and supporting family members as allies in the treatment process. Strategies…

This paper examines specific problems facing community service delivery in rural Australia and efforts to overcome these deficiencies. The generic term "rural" is advantageous in that it delineates particular problems facing rural communities, aids in resource allocation, raises public awareness of rural disadvantage, and provides an…