Describes a program based in St. Paul, Minnesota, which provides whole-family foster care for a population of adult parents and minor children without stable residences, in which the children are at risk of placement in out-of-home care. (HTH)

This paper describes (1) common misconceptions about developmentally appropriate practices; (2) areas in which convergence between general and special early childhood education can be achieved; and (3) current collaborative efforts between the two disciplines (e.g., individually appropriate practices, emphasis on early intervention,…

Describes how family literacy programs help increase adult literacy levels, broaden reading skills for children, and foster good reading habits for all family members. The recipients of Bell Atlantic/American Library Association Family Literacy Project grants are listed, their programs are summarized, and 11 clues that can help determine a…

Fifty-four county mental health authorities in Michigan were surveyed before and after implementation of new policies and funding for support services for disabled individuals and families. Case management assessment, respite care, in-home services, and advisory committees showed significant increases in availability. Length of time that families…

A review of the literature on biological and environmental effects of cocaine use suggests that the classification of infants and young children as prenatally cocaine exposed is neither descriptive nor predictive of behavior. The classification of behavior rather than labeling of the child is encouraged, as are partnerships with families of…

Provides an overview of Family Support Act child care programs and highlights the successes and missed opportunities of the programs' first years. Areas discussed include child care for parents in training programs; child care for working parents receiving Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC); the At-Risk Child Care program; and welfare…

Describes a collaborative, multidisciplinary developmental follow-up program for infants and toddlers who have been in out-of-home care. The program builds on the community-based family support model described in the Family to Family Foster Care Reform Initiative. Highlights the children's health and developmental status and program effectiveness.…

Presents a model for the relationships between poverty and violence. Argues that exposure to violence may lead to more high-risk behaviors in adolescence and adulthood. Offers a psychoeducational framework for understanding the complex issues posed by damaging effects of violence and poverty on children. Recommends school-based prevention programs…

Describes a field-based outcome-measure study in which a family-systems curriculum was designed and implemented in a graduate clinical preparation program in speech-language pathology. In addition, families' perceptions of the pediatric speech-language assessment process were evaluated. Clinical competencies for preservice and professional…

Describes the establishment and development of a support group for the parents of children infected and/or affected by HIV infection. The group is hospital-based, meeting monthly since April 1992, facilitated by professionals but with a self-help and peer support emphasis. Explains the planning, setting, and running of the group. Identifies…

Schools can reduce special-education and remedial instruction costs by helping students succeed in early grades. This article profiles several prevention and early intervention programs, including Success for All, Reading Recovery, Prevention of Learning Disabilities, the Carolina Abecedarian Project, Comer's School Development Program, and…

This commentary on "The Effects of Family-Centered Service Coordination: A Social Validity Study" (Romer), discusses the challenges of implementing family-centered service coordination and variables such as caseload size, models of service coordination, and models of staff development that might have an impact on these challenges. (CR)

Details implementation of the Family Group Decision Making Project in Canadian Newfoundland and Labrador among residents from Inuit and European backgrounds. Notes how the program offered solutions to problems of fostering cultural autonomy, measuring family violence, unifying families and protecting family members, and integrating child welfare…

Inter-agency collaboration, service coordination, and the creation of successful partnerships among parents, teachers, and human services professionals continues to be a challenge for the development of responsive community-based systems of care for at-risk youth and their families. We explore how one inner-city neighborhood struggles to create…

"Storying" captures our interest in the unfolding stories of lives--those of young children, parents, caregivers, teachers, and ourselves. The sharing and building of stories is a social experience--a way to establish early connections that are essential to young children's learning and development. Stories, and the building of stories, are at the…