The emphasis on family-support and school-linked services programs requires that professionals be trained with the new skills that will be required for these interdisciplinary approaches. A network of nonprofit training and leadership-development institutions is growing that emphasizes experiential learning. (SLD)

Presents a case study of the University of Minnesota's community-based program to serve the needs of children, youth, and families. Highlights the early history of the enterprise, noting the guiding principles and mission that have fueled its development. Summarizes the first three years of the consortium's operation and discusses a few of the…

Presents the transcript of a telephone conference between Patty Finch of the National Association for Humane and Environmental Education and Dr. Frank Ascione of Utah State University. (MDH)

This article explores the current status in the United States of support to families who care for children with disabilities at home. It summarizes essential program features, program effects, and outstanding issues (such as, ensuring family involvement in policy formation, sufficient funding, and system collaboration). (DB)

The mother of a child deafened by spinal meningitis in infancy discusses her emotional response to the diagnosis, including initial shock, guilt, and anger, followed by acceptance and constructive action. Early intervention services which center on family services and the importance of good communication between professionals and parents are…

Military recreation is a sophisticated leisure delivery system that has traditionally remained independent from public providers of recreation and parks services. Now, because of cost considerations, commanding officers may be developing new levels of public sector cooperation. The article examines differences between public and military…

Discusses the development of the Family Assessment Form for use in in-home family support services at the Children's Bureau of Los Angeles, California. Focuses on details of the form, its reliability and validity, and refinements in its use. (BB)

Describes the general characteristics of family support programs in North America. Summarizes the rationale for such programs. Describes an example of a support program, the family resource centers in Canada. Outlines such key planning considerations as the diversity of today's families, needs assessment, program variety, and cultural relevance.…

Supplements and extends an earlier article by these authors. Suggests that a strengths approach, with guiding principles of family preservation, be used to empower child protective service (CPS) caseworkers and to enhance their cultural competence. Defines ethnic sensitivity and identifies the components of a strengths approach to CPS training.…

Caring for Parent Caregivers, an Australian support program to empower parents of children with intellectual disabilities and thereby strengthen family resources, was evaluated using quantitative and qualitative procedures. Program participants displayed less emotional distress than control group subjects; outcomes were positive for both mothers…

Partners in Policymaking is an ongoing, federally funded empowerment and self-advocacy education program for individuals with developmental disabilities and their families in Minnesota which is being replicated in other states. A survey of 130 program graduates indicated satisfaction with the program and the presence of many active citizen…

Advocates providing health and human services in cooperation with public schools. Reports on the work of the federally sponsored School-Linked Integrated Services Study Team, which examined the development and implementation of integrated services, and found resistance to such change among some service providers. (MDM)

This commentary on EC 605 926 states that families of children with severe mental retardation or autism have problems that might be considered "the same, only more so" compared to issues faced by families with nonhandicapped children, and therefore solutions might involve magnifications of solutions being suggested to help all parents.…

Describes the Family Advocacy Program's social services, including its focus on clients' strengths. Lists the program's guiding principles, which stress the caregivers' role. Establishes the framework of values in which the program operates and discusses practice implications of the services for social service practice. (BC)

Mothers (N=503) of young handicapped children identified types of family intervention services currently received and needed. Results indicated that the most commonly available services involved providing information to parents about their children and helping parents participate in the early intervention system. Resource assistance and…