An increasing number of children have family problems that interfere with their ability to learn at school. This book provides information about developing a clearer and more sophisticated child-centered school and classroom by making teachers and administrators more knowledgeable about the varieties of students' family structures, both healthy and unhealthy, and showing them how to be more adept at managing the effects of dysfunctional family systems as they impact the child, the classroom and the school. The first part of the book offers the reader a theoretical framework from which to appreciate the relative needs of the children and how families meet those needs. The chapters in this part are: (1) "The Developmental Needs of Children"; (2) "Understanding Families as Systems"; (3) "The Relational Needs of Children"; (4) "Understanding Relationship Dynamics"; (5) "Children in Dual-Wage and Dual-Career Families"; (6) "Children in Single-Parent Homes"; (7) "Children in Blended Families"; and (8) "Children in Adoptive Families." The second part examines the variety of dysfunctional family styles or structures and contains chapters: (9) "Dealing with Transference and Countertransference: Why Do Some Students Affect Us the Way They Do?"; (10) "Projection and Parallel Patterns in the Classroom"; (11) "Chronic Illness and the Stuck Child"; (12) "Divorce and the Split Child"; (13) "Substance Abuse and the Chaotic Family"; (14) "The Child in the Fragile Family"; and (15) "The Child in the Abusive Family." The final part of the book offers suggestions for family intervention and support, and contains chapters (16) "Dealing with Families" and (17) "Professional Consultation and Conferencing with Difficult Families." Each chapter includes references. (TJQ)