This newsletter theme issue discusses collaboration between professionals and families whose children have emotional disorders. Background information is provided on the concept of empowerment and the development of collaboration as a principle for delivering services. Factors that lead to empowerment and barriers experienced by families are addressed. Information is also provided on: the Vanderbilt Family Empowerment Project in Tennessee, which developed a parent group curriculum and research program to study the effects of family empowerment; a University of Kansas project at the Beach Center on Families and Disability to define, measure, and evaluate family-centeredness of services targeted toward children and their families; the University of Vermont's Family/Professional Collaboration Project to promote family and professional collaboration at all levels of planning, service delivery, and policymaking for children with special health needs; the Multnomah County Partners Project in Portland, Oregon, to coordinate community-based services for children who are receiving services from two or more government systems; and upcoming projects of the Research and Training Center of Portland (Oregon) State University. Parents' perspectives on these collaborative efforts are provided. (SW)