This special issue focuses on problems and challenges confronting the California family and on research and extension efforts to provide at least partial answers. Research briefs by staff include "Challenges Confront the California Family" (state trends in poverty, divorce, single-parent families, child abuse, delinquency, teen births, limited English proficiency, and academic achievement); "Lead Poisoning Continues To Pose Threat"; "UC Offers Lead Test around State"; and "EFNEP: 25 Years' Worth of Sound Advice" (about the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program). Articles are (1) "Hunger in the Midst of Affluence: Task Force Combats Hunger in Contra Costa County" (Mary Lavender Fujii); (2) "Farmworker Housing in Crisis: How Rural Communities Can Learn from the Arvin Experience" (Patricia Harrison); (3) "Does Mothering School-Age Children Mix with Paid Employment?" (Brenda K. Bryant); (4) "Helping Youth at Risk: 4-H and Cooperative Extension Venture into Child Care" (Sharon Junge, Dave Riley, Jill Steinberg, Chris Todd, Ina McClain); (5) "For Children Facing Adversity: How Youth Programs Can Promote Resilience" (Marc T. Braverman, James M. Meyers, Lynn Bloomberg); (6) "In-Home Treatment of Child Abuse: Healing at Home Can Be Effective and Cost-Effective" (Keith Barton); (7) "Project 4-Health Develops Program To Curb Youth Tobacco Use" (Marc T. Braverman, Joel M. Moskowitz, Carol N. D'Onofrio, Valodi Foster); and (8) "Gang Identity or Self-Expression? Researchers Look beyond the Surface of 'Gang Clothing' and Appearance" (Janet Hethorn). Contains many photographs. (SV)