After briefly reviewing the child policy decade of the 1890s and how it dominated the national social reform agenda, the article describes the current pressures for a children's agenda in the 1990s, what such an agenda might consist of, and the likelihood of success for a social reform agenda now. (BB)

Describes the Parent and Child Education (PACE) program, a statewide family literacy program in Kentucky that promotes positive attitudes toward schooling and academic achievement. PACE focuses on parents' basic skills, children's learning skills, and parents' child care skills. (FMW)

Reviews the literature on the role of family distress in the treatment of children's behavior disorders. Describes a system for integrating marital- and child-focused treatments and makes suggestions for improving the design of studies assessing the impact of contextual factors on parent-child interaction. (FMW)

Describes the plight of homeless families in the United States, examining the special role that Head Start programs can play in homeless families' lives. Suggests that Head Start programs need to address staff training, family recruitment, health services, transportation, flexible scheduling, home-based options, attendance, parent education,…

This article identifies elements of effective collaborative programs and describes existing programs that are designed to enhance collaboration between schools and families of children with disabilities: Transparent School Model (in multiple states), Parent/Mentor Resource Project (Indiana), Parent Mentor Program (Ohio), Mentor Parent Program…

Relationships between schools and families of children with learning and behavior problems are discussed in terms of the benefits of parent involvement, barriers to effective home-school partnerships, ways that schools and families can collaborate, and skills that support parent-teacher collaboration. (DB)

Examines how officials in Arvin, a small rural California community, developed a family housing project to reduce the housing shortage among agricultural workers. Suggested guidelines for similar programs include assessing area needs; matching housing types to needs; maintaining affordability; supervising construction; consulting with local…

Examines the way that feeding and nutrition concerns of children with disabilities are addressed under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act; includes two case studies of families who received nutritional services for their young children (ages one and two) with disabilities. The role of the nutritionist is considered. (Author/SW)

Establishes a base for research on parent centers and their effects through a survey of 28 elementary and secondary schools nationwide that are running parent centers. Parent-family centers are emerging as a vehicle for enhancing parental involvement in schools in a number of ways. (SLD)

Emphasizes the critical role of parental input into design and implementation of family involvement programs. Discusses what parents consider meaningful family involvement, which can constitute the foundation for program development. Suggests ways to maintain a parent focus in program decisions. (BAC)

Identifies the major themes that have emerged in this special issue on child welfare in Canada, and presents a critique of the policies and practices now dominating the Canadian child welfare enterprise. Outlines the changes required to move child welfare from its residual stance into an enterprise that develops a capacity for innovative practice.…

In Orange County, California, 76 migrant preschool children and 45 parents participated in a 7-week pilot program concerned with preventing dental disease by encouraging good dental habits and healthy food choices. Parent questionnaires revealed that the most remarkable program-related change was a decrease in consumption of sugary foods for over…

Discusses the home-based option for delivering services to Head Start families. Suggests that the key to successful programs is group socialization, providing social settings outside the home for parents to expand parenting skills. Suggests ways of involving parents in socialization activities, extending learning from home to group setting,…

Presents the results of a survey of Minnesota families on the waiting list for child care assistance--families eligible for assistance for whom no funds are available. Suggests that this waiting has a devastating economic and emotional impact on those families. Proposes the child care sliding fee program as a possible solution to these problems.…

A pilot system of individualized and rurally compatible community-based alternatives to residential and institutional treatment settings for seriously emotionally disturbed children was evaluated. The results indicate that this intensive, community-based, service-delivery system appears to improve children's behavioral and emotional functioning,…